She was a candidate for mayor in the 2018 San Francisco mayoral election, finishing third with 24.03% of the first-round vote. Jane Jungyon Kim was born in New York City on July 9, 1977, to South Korean parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Seoul in 1971. Kim grew up learning both the English and Korean languages. Her mother owned a store selling women's clothing. Her father joined Kiss Products, a global cosmetics company, while she was in college. At age 14, Kim began studying taekwondo, eventually earning a black belt. She was involved with community activism, especially the issue of homelessness. While attending Spence School, a New York prep school, she stopped reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in her teens—she rejected the Pledge words "with liberty and justice for all" as they did not apply to LGBT people. Kim graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Asian American Studies. She settled in San Francisco and enrolled in the UC Berkeley School of Law. Kim earned a law degree, and was admitted to the State Bar of California in December 2009. After finishing her Stanford studies, Kim worked as a Fellow at Greenlining Institute in San Francisco. She interviewed with Reverend Norman Fong, the leader of the Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) in 2000. Fong was doubtful she would fit the position of youth organizer as she did not speak any Chinese. However, Kim successfully led a youth volunteer and leadership program in San Francisco Chinatown. Through her community organization efforts, she met power broker Rose Pak. In 2005 Kim was elected president of the San Francisco People's Organization (SFPO), made up of many notable San Francisco activists and organizers. SFPO worked against several California ballot propositions in November 2005, and assisted with health care and affordable housing measures for San Franciscans through 2006. In 2003 while campaigning for Green Party mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez, Kim felt too few female Asian Americans were engaged in San Francisco politics. In 2004, she decided to run for the San Francisco Board of Education. In a field of 12 candidates seeking four seats, Kim came in seventh place; her bid failed in part because she was a member of the minority Green Party and did not have the backing of the Democratic Party. In 2006, Kim mounted a stronger campaign. She was endorsed by various politicians, unions, community groups and media, and she won, gathering the most votes of 15 candidates seeking three seats. In 2007 when she was sworn in she became the first Korean American elected official in San Francisco.