Persons
Vitaly Kim
Vitaly Kim
Vitaliy Oleksandrovych Kim is a Ukrainian administrator, entrepreneur, and public figure of Korean descent. Since November 2020, he has headed the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration (now the Military Administration).
Date of birth: March 13, 1981
Place of birth: Mykolaiv
Education and Early Life
He was born in Mykolaiv into a family of athletes: his father was a professional basketball player and an honored coach.
He attended Mykolaiv Gymnasium No. 2, after which he earned a degree in business economics from the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding.
He is fluent in English and has a basic knowledge of French and Korean.
Business and Professional Activities
He has been involved in entrepreneurial activities since the late 1990s.
He worked at Ukrpromresurs, a company specializing in auditing and asset valuation in the public sector. In subsequent years, he held management positions at a number of companies in Mykolaiv involved in investment projects and businesses with an international component.
He was also a managing partner of the Ushuaja club project, which was connected to the construction sector.
Before entering politics, he managed several companies in Mykolaiv. In 2019, he transferred management of the business to partners and transferred part of the assets to family members.
In 2015–2016, he joined the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine,
where he contributed to the development of the analytical division.
Political Activities
In 2019, he worked at the regional headquarters of the Servant of the People party during the presidential and parliamentary elections.
During the 2020 local campaign, he headed the election headquarters in Mykolaiv and ran for the city council.
On November 25, 2020, he was appointed head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration. After the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, he headed the regional military administration.
State Awards
Awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class
(2022).
Public image
He gained widespread recognition during the full-scale war thanks to his regular video addresses to the public. His phrase “Good evening, we are from Ukraine” became one of the most recognizable in the public sphere during that period.
Family
Married to Yulia Kim. The couple is raising three children: two daughters—Yevheniia and Oleksandra—and a son, Ruslan.
