Jonny Kim


Jonathan Kim is an American US Navy lieutenant, physician, and NASA astronaut.

Personal life

Emigrating from South Korea to the United States in the early 1980s, Kim's parents opened a liquor store in South Los Angeles, with Kim's father scarcely having a high-school education. Jonathan Kim was born in 1984 in Los Angeles. Kim's mother worked as a substitute elementary school teacher while raising Kim and his younger brother. In a 2018 interview with Annals of Emergency Medicine, Kim described himself as "the epitome of that quiet kid who just lacked complete self-confidence."
At Santa Monica High School, Kim received high grades in his classes, including several Advanced Placement, and participated in swimming and water polo; he graduated in 2002. Kim received a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from the University of San Diego in 2012, and his Doctor of Medicine from Harvard Medical School in 2016. In 2017, Kim completed his medical internship in emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Kim's father died before seeing his son join the US Navy. , Kim was married with three children.

Career

US Navy

Kim learned about and decided to join the United States Naval Special Warfare Command at age 16, investing his remaining high-school years physically conditioning himself for the rigors of Special Warfare training. Of this decision, Kim said, "Going into the Navy was the best decision I ever made in my life because it completely transformed that scared boy who didn't have any dreams to someone who started to believe in himself."
After enlisting with the United States Navy in 2002 as a seaman recruit, Kim graduated BUD/S class 247 and was assigned to SEAL Team 3 with the rate Special Warfare Operator. He deployed twice to the Middle East and participated in over 100 combat missions as a combat medic, sniper, navigator, and point man. Kim was accepted for commissioning in 2009; when he graduated from USD in 2012 and left the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, Kim entered the Medical Corps. During his tenure with the SEALs, Kim served with PO2s Marc Alan Lee and Michael A. Monsoor.
Kim is a recipient of a Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon. , he was on active duty with the Navy Reserve at the rank of lieutenant. According to Jocko Willink, Kim's Silver Star was awarded for rescuing multiple wounded Iraqi soldiers in the face of enemy fire.

NASA

While studying at Harvard Medical School, Kim met and was inspired by astronaut–physician Scott E. Parazynski to apply for Astronaut Candidacy. Kim was one of over 18,300 applicants.

It was June 2017 when Kim was one of twelve people chosen to join NASA Astronaut Group 22. He reported for duty on 21 August 2017, and graduated from training on 10 January 2020. According to NASA, Kim will work in the Astronaut Office while awaiting a flight assignment with the Artemis program.