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KOREATOWN, LOS ANGELES — May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and throughout the next few weeks, Eyewitness News is highlighting members of the community.
On Wednesday, the focus turned to Kim’s Home Center, a home goods store in Koreatown that has become a beloved staple for Korean families across the Southland.
Kim’s Home Center was founded in 1979 by the grandfather of current vice president Scott Kim. He immigrated from Korea and recognized a gap in the market for Korean appliances and household items.
“There weren’t a lot of Korean appliances, there weren’t a lot of Korean kitchenware or even home goods that anyone is able to provide, so that’s something he saw a market in,” he said.
The family-run business has evolved through multiple generations, with each bringing different perspectives on what customers want.
Cindy Kim Evans, the store’s import director, said those differences have helped the business grow.
“My dad is 40 years older than I am. Two very different generations, but we have, like, different eyes,” she said. “He sort of knows what the older generation Korean wants. I’m like, ‘Hey, younger people are more into this.’ Now with Scott joining the business as like the third generation, it’s great because he has a whole different set of eyes.”
The store is known for its wide-ranging inventory, from Korean slippers ordered in large quantities to popular K-beauty products.
Customers say the selection is difficult to find elsewhere.
“So these are the visors that sold out, and they’re amazing because it covers 180. You can’t really find them in [Orange County.] That’s why we buy them here,” said Sarah Ahn of @ahnestkitchen.
For many shoppers, Kim’s Home Center is more than a place to buy household items; it is a link to cultural memory and family history.
“It’s just the nostalgic place for us,” Ahn said. “For our parents, it was their version of Korea to get their products, and for us, new generation, it’s where we continue to buy our parents’ things that they use. I think it’s just such an iconic part of K-Town and no one knows beyond maybe the Korean community and people who live around here. But I feel like every SoCal Korean knows this place. It’s low key, but also not.”
Other customers echo that sentiment, citing both the products and the people who work there.
“I love just the people that work here. I come in and I feel like their aunties are just like watching over me as soon as I come in,” said Keehup Yong of Koreatown. “To have a store like this, where again, you can see everything that you grew up with. It’s like really nice. Fifteen different rice cookers?! It’s like a dream to me.”
Kim Evans said she now sees younger generations continuing the tradition of shopping at the store for hard-to-find items.
“It’s all of the kids and the grandkids who are now shopping here when they’re like, ‘Hey, I think I need to buy this thing for when I make this thing,'” she said. “It’s like, where can I find that? Oh, let me try Kim’s, and usually, we’ll have it here.”
Ahn summed up the appeal simply: “Where else are you going to get the big kimchi bowls? Where else are you going to get the Korean home slippers that last a long time?”
For Scott Kim, continuing the family business is about more than retail success.
“It’s very rewarding to be able to continue to preserve that Korean culture,” he said. “It’s not just for us, but also for the people who come here and shop here.”
