18-year-old high school student council president runs for city council, becomes youngest preliminary candidate nationwide

[The Financial News] It has come to light that a high school student from Gimhae City in South Gyeongsang Province is running in the June 3 local elections for a seat on the city council.
According to the list of preliminary candidates released by the National Election Commission (NEC) on the 25th, 18-year-old Kim Tae-hoon, a third-year student and student council president at Changwon Daesan High School, has registered as a preliminary candidate for Gimhae City Council with The Minjoo Party of Korea.
Born in February 2008, Kim is the only teenager among the 39 people who have registered so far as preliminary candidates for Gimhae City Council. He is also the youngest preliminary candidate in the country.
Kim previously served as an honorary member of the National Planning and Advisory Committee under the president during the Lee Jae-myung administration, and he is currently a member of the Special Committee on Education at the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea. In this election, he plans to run for a Gimhae City Council seat in Gimhae City Council Electoral District Ra, which covers Jinyeong-eup and Hallim-myeon.
Speaking with Yonhap News Agency, Kim explained his decision to run, saying, "I have long been interested in youth policy and have had opportunities to be involved both directly and indirectly, but I was disappointed that many of our ideas were not reflected." He added, "Since Gimhae, where I live, is a Child-Friendly City, I want to pursue politics that embrace young people in the local community."
He went on to say, "Since the December 3 Martial Law, my friends have also become more interested in politics, and it feels like they have learned a lot about local and metropolitan council members as well," stressing, "With the support of my friends, I am determined to realize politics that truly serves young people."
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-seon Reporter