First Korean-British Lawmaker Elected to Welsh Parliament Amid Reform UK Surge

Former Teacher Joshua Kim Enters Parliament via Proportional Representation
Reform UK Makes Waves with Over 1,400 Seats Nationwide
Starmer Calls Results "Devastating"... Rejects Resignation Despite Pressure

A Korean-British lawmaker has entered the Welsh Parliament for the first time.

Joshua Kim (Seungkyun Kim), Member of the Welsh Parliament. Civic organization "Who Can I Vote For" website

According to Yonhap News on May 11, Assemblyman Joshua Kim (Korean name: Seungkyun Kim) was elected as the third candidate on the proportional representation list for Reform UK in the Welsh Parliament election held on May 7 (local time), representing the Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, and Rhymney constituencies. He was inaugurated on May 9. This marks the first time a person of Korean descent has entered the Welsh Parliament since its establishment in 1999. Previously, there had been no Korean-British lawmakers not only in the UK House of Commons but also in the devolved parliaments of Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales.

Assemblyman Kim, who has worked as a teacher, ran as the Reform UK candidate for the Caerphilly constituency in the 2024 general election but was unsuccessful. In this election, Plaid Cymru received about 29,000 votes and Reform UK received about 23,000 votes in his constituency, electing three representatives each. According to the BBC, the election officer looked for Kim at the site but he was absent; he only appeared 45 minutes later as the venue was being cleared for the next event. Kim told the BBC, "I was at work on the day of the vote count," adding, "I was completely shocked. I never expected to win."

This election was marked by Reform UK's remarkable nationwide surge. In the local elections in England, Reform UK secured over 1,400 seats, taking the lead and capturing areas such as Sunderland and Essex County, which had long been Labour Party strongholds. In the Welsh Parliament, Reform UK became the second-largest party with 34 seats. Party leader Nigel Farage declared that these results "signal the end of the traditional two-party political system."

Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister. Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News

In contrast, the ruling Labour Party suffered its worst results, losing its majority status in Wales for the first time in 27 years. Prime Minister Keir Starmer conceded defeat, stating, "It is an extremely devastating result. I will not try to sugarcoat it," but drew a line at the possibility of resignation. Amid growing calls for him to step down within the party, Starmer maintained, "I will not throw the country into chaos," reaffirming his intention to lead the party into the next general election.

With this landslide victory, party leader Farage has rapidly emerged as a frontrunner for prime minister. He had made his mark by leading the Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum. Farage, who began his career as a commodities trader at the London Metal Exchange (LME) immediately after graduating high school instead of attending university, is seen as fundamentally different from traditional British politicians who typically follow elite tracks such as Oxford or Cambridge.

Meanwhile, Korean representation in British politics reached a historic high. This election resulted in the election of five Korean-British local councilors, including the first-ever third-term councilor, Bora Kwon. Elected officials of East Asian descent remain rare in British politics, and it was only in 2018 that a Korean-British person first entered a local council in England.

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