Community
Kim’s Home Center founder Dae Soon Kim dies at 91
Dae Soon Kim, who built a Koreatown household-goods store into a cultural touchstone for generations of Korean American families, has died at age 91.
Kim’s Home Center announced that its founder died last week. Kim opened the business in 1979 with a goal of offering quality household goods at affordable prices while serving the community he called home.
Founder: Dae Soon Kim
Business opened: 1979
Community: Koreatown, Los Angeles
A multigenerational Koreatown institution
Over nearly five decades, the family-run store became known for Korean cookware, appliances and other hard-to-find household items. Customers have described it as a connection to home and a place where younger generations continue family shopping traditions.
The company said Kim’s legacy continues through relatives who carry on his work and the customers who have supported the store through the years.
Original announcement: Read Kim’s Home Center’s memorial →
Independent local coverage: Read the NBC Los Angeles report →