Youngest Preliminary Candidate in the Nation Emerges... 18-Year-Old High School Student Runs for Gimhae City Council

The Only Teenager Among 41 Preliminary Candidates
Started Political Activities at 16 by Joining the Party
Served as Honorary Member of the National Policy Planning Committee and as a Provincial Party Committee Member

A high school student in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, is drawing attention as he throws his hat into the ring for a seat on the city council in the June 3 local elections.

According to the Preliminary Candidate List of the National Election Commission as of March 26, Kim Taehoon (18), a third-year student at Changwon Daesan High School, has registered as a Democratic Party preliminary candidate for Gimhae City Council. Kim is running in the Gimhae District La (Jinyeong-eup and Hallim-myeon) and, as of this date, is not only the only teenager among the 39 preliminary candidates for Gimhae City Council but also the youngest candidate nationwide.

According to the preliminary candidate list from the National Election Commission, Taehoon Kim (18), a third-year student at Changwon Daesan High School, has registered as a preliminary candidate for Gimhae City Council representing the Democratic Party of Korea. Yonhap News

Born in February 2008, Kim currently serves as his school’s student body president. He joined the Democratic Party at the age of 16 and began his political activities at that time. He later served as an honorary member of the Presidential National Policy Planning Committee, and is now an active member of the Democratic Party’s Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Party Special Committee on Education. His experience goes beyond that of a typical student council president, as he has participated firsthand in policy discussions.

Kim explained his candidacy by saying, “I have consistently been interested in youth policy and have had opportunities to participate both directly and indirectly, but I have often been disappointed that these policies were rarely reflected in reality. Since Gimhae, where I live, is a child-friendly city, I want to realize politics that embrace youth in the region.” He expressed his determination to demonstrate the possibilities of youth participation in politics through this run. Under the slogan “The Future of Jinyeong and Hallim with Citizens,” he has identified regionally focused policies and the expansion of youth participation as his main priorities.

Observers note that Kim’s candidacy is significant because it represents a case of young people, often described as a “generation indifferent to politics,” stepping directly into the political arena. Since the amendment of the Public Official Election Act lowered the age of eligibility for candidacy to 18, the number of teenagers running in actual elections has increased, and all eyes are on whether Kim’s challenge will help expand generational diversity in local politics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.