Rep. Kim, Offered S. Korea TV Job, Urges Judge to End Probation

Rep. Jay C. Kim, convicted of campaign finance crimes, has asked to be relieved from supervised probation so he can move to South Korea to host a television talk show modeled after CNN’s “Larry King Live.”

Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that they will oppose any termination of Kim’s probation, contending that his “already lenient” sentence would be “transformed into an exceptionally brief slap on the wrist.”

Kim, a Republican from Diamond Bar, pleaded guilty in federal court last year to three misdemeanor counts involving the receipt of illegal corporate and foreign campaign contributions.

He was fined and sentenced to wear an electronic monitor during two months of home detention, followed by one year of supervised probation.

While confined to his Washington-area home, Kim was defeated in his bid for a fourth term in the GOP primary in the 41st Congressional District, which covers parts of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties.

In a three-page letter dated Sept. 9 to U.S. District Judge Richard A. Paez, Kim said his guilty plea and election defeat “have made the prospects for other political or politically related employment in the United States extremely difficult at best.”

Although trained as a civil engineer, Kim said, his professional certifications have expired, and starting over would be very difficult.

“Fortunately,” he continued, “I have been offered a very unique and challenging position in Korea. South Korea’s premier private television network has asked me to host the country’s first political talk show.

“To be modeled along the lines of CNN’s ‘Larry King Live,’ this show would represent the very first time that live, open political dialogue would appear on a weekly basis in Korea.”

Kim did not say how much the job would pay, but he said it would enable him to make substantial payments on his debts. Those, he said, include legal bills of more than $300,000 and a likely monetary settlement with his wife, June, who has filed for divorce.

His lawyers asked the judge to terminate Kim’s probation effective Oct. 18.

In a response filed this week, Assistant U.S. Atty. Edward B. Moreton Jr. urged the judge not to shorten Kim’s probation, which has five months left.

Even if Congress adjourns this month, Moreton pointed out, Kim will remain a congressman and continue to receive his salary until January.