1. Personal Background
Kim Jae-bum's personal life includes details about his upbringing, family, religious convictions, and notable exemptions.
1.1. Early Life and Family
Kim Jae-bum was born on January 25, 1985, in Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. His hometown is Seoul, South Korea. He is an alumnus of Yongin University. He stands at 72 in (182 cm) tall.
1.2. Religious Beliefs and Nicknames
Kim Jae-bum is a devout Protestant Christian. He is known for raising his hands in prayer to God before matches and shouting while raising his hands in victory to convey his triumph to the Lord. Throughout his career, Kim earned several nicknames reflecting his unique style and resilience. He was called "Man of One Arm Wins" due to his ability to succeed despite being plagued by injuries. His aggressive play and iconic status in South Korean judo led to the nickname "Korean Tiger." Additionally, his quick and relentless judo style, coupled with his remarkable stamina, earned him the monikers "Energizer Bunny" and "King of Stamina" (体力王Tairyoku-ōJapanese).
1.3. Military Service Exemption
In 2010, Kim Jae-bum was granted exemption from South Korea's mandatory military service. This exemption followed his gold medal victory at the Guangzhou Asian Games.
2. Judo Career
Kim Jae-bum's judo career is marked by early success, a strategic weight class change, numerous international achievements, and a persistent battle with injuries.
2.1. Junior Career and Weight Class Transition
Kim Jae-bum began his judo career with significant achievements in junior competitions. In 2003, he won a gold medal in the -66 kg class at the Asian Junior Judo Championships held in Macau. The following year, in 2004, he secured another gold medal in the -73 kg class at the World Judo Juniors Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He also earned a silver medal at the 2004 Korean International tournament in Suwon in the -73 kg category. In 2005, he won gold at the Asian Judo Championships in Tashkent in the -73 kg class, followed by another gold at the Korean International tournament. His success continued in 2006 with a gold medal at the Austrian International tournament in Vienna. In 2007, he won a silver medal at the Summer Universiade in Bangkok in the -73 kg division.
Originally competing in the -73 kg class, Kim was considered one of South Korea's "Big Three Judokas" alongside Lee Won-hee and Wang Ki-chun. To avoid the intense domestic competition within this category, he strategically decided to move up to the -81 kg weight class in 2007, a transition that proved beneficial for his international career.
2.2. Major Competition Achievements
Kim Jae-bum achieved significant success across various major international judo tournaments, consistently earning medals and titles.
2.2.1. Olympic Games
Kim Jae-bum participated in two Olympic Games, securing both a silver and a gold medal.
At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, he competed in the -81 kg class and won the silver medal. On his path to the final, he defeated 2006 European champion Serguei Shundikov of Belarus by points, followed by a victory over 2007 European champion Robert Krawczyk of Poland by Ippon. In the quarterfinals, Kim edged out 2008 European champion João Neto of Portugal by points. He then beat 2005 World Champion Guillaume Elmont of the Netherlands in the semifinal. Despite defeating three consecutive European champions, Kim lost in the final round to the 2005 European champion, Ole Bischof of Germany.
Four years later, at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Kim Jae-bum won the gold medal in the men's -81 kg division. In a highly anticipated rematch of the 2008 final, he once again faced his German rival, Ole Bischof, and emerged victorious. This victory made him the second South Korean judoka, after Lee Won-hee, to achieve a "Grand Slam" in judo, a term used to signify winning gold medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Asian Games.
2.2.2. World Judo Championships
Kim Jae-bum demonstrated consistent excellence at the World Judo Championships. In 2009, he earned a bronze medal in the -81 kg class at the World Judo Championships held in Rotterdam.
He secured his first major gold medal at the 2010 World Judo Championships in Tokyo, Japan. In the gold medal match, he defeated two-time Olympic medalist Leandro Guilheiro of Brazil by scoring a Waza-ari with an Ōuchi gari in extra time.
Kim continued his dominance by becoming a two-time world champion at the 2011 World Judo Championships held in Paris, France. During the Round of 16, Kim avenged his 2008 Beijing Olympic Games finals loss by defeating Ole Bischof. He went on to win the gold medal by defeating Srdjan Mrvaljevic of Montenegro with a waza-ari through Osaekomi-waza.
In 2015, he competed at the World Championships but suffered an early exit, losing in the first round to a Portuguese athlete.
2.2.3. Asian Games
Kim Jae-bum achieved significant success at the Asian Games. In 2010, he won a gold medal in the -81 kg class at the Guangzhou Asian Games. He continued his winning streak at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, where he not only secured a gold medal in the -81 kg individual event but also contributed to the Men's team gold medal, achieving a double victory on home soil.
2.2.4. Other Major Tournaments
Kim Jae-bum's impressive record extends to numerous other international competitions. He won multiple gold medals at the Asian Judo Championships, including in 2005 (Tashkent, -73 kg), 2008 (Jeju, -81 kg), 2009 (Taipei, -81 kg), 2011 (Abu Dhabi, -81 kg), and 2012 (Tashkent, -81 kg). He also earned a silver medal at the 2015 Asian Championships in Kuwait City (-81 kg), and was part of the gold-winning team in 2011 and 2012, and bronze-winning team in 2015.
He secured a gold medal at the Judo World Masters in 2010 in Suwon, South Korea. In the Judo Grand Slam series, he won gold medals at the 2011 Paris Grand Slam and the 2012 Tokyo Grand Slam. He also earned silver medals at the 2009 Paris Grand Slam and 2009 Tokyo Grand Slam, and a bronze at the 2014 Paris Grand Slam. Notably, at the 2011 Moscow Grand Slam, he was controversially disqualified with a "hansoku-make" (disqualification) in the quarterfinals against Sven Maresch of Germany, after leading by two yuko, for allegedly avoiding grips and running away in the final seconds of the match. Kim protested the decision by remaining on the mat for a period.
His Grand Prix victories include gold medals at the 2010 Düsseldorf Grand Prix, 2013 Jeju Grand Prix, and 2014 Jeju Grand Prix, along with a bronze at the 2013 Düsseldorf Grand Prix. Other notable achievements include gold medals at the 2008 German International, 2009 Suwon World Cup, 2010 Prague World Cup, 2010 Ulaanbaatar World Cup, 2010 Suwon World Cup, and the 2015 European Open Sofia. He also won silver at the 2010 Almaty World Cup and bronze at the 2015 European Open Rome. In 2016, he placed fifth at the Grand Prix Samsun.
| Year | Tournament | Place | Weight class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Asian Junior Championships | 1st | -66 kg |
| 2004 | World Junior Championships | 1st | -73 kg |
| 2004 | Korean International (Suwon) | 2nd | -73 kg |
| 2005 | Asian Championships (Tashkent) | 1st | -73 kg |
| 2005 | Korean International (Suwon) | 1st | -73 kg |
| 2006 | Austrian International (Vienna) | 1st | -73 kg |
| 2007 | Summer Universiade (Bangkok) | 2nd | -73 kg |
| 2008 | German International (Düsseldorf) | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2008 | Asian Championships (Jeju) | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2008 | Beijing Summer Olympics | 2nd | -81 kg |
| 2009 | Grand Slam Paris | 2nd | -81 kg |
| 2009 | Asian Championships (Taipei) | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2009 | World Championships (Rotterdam) | 3rd | -81 kg |
| 2009 | World Cup Suwon | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2009 | Grand Slam Tokyo | 2nd | -81 kg |
| 2010 | World Masters (Suwon) | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2010 | Grand Prix Düsseldorf | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2010 | World Cup Prague | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2010 | World Cup Ulaanbaatar | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2010 | World Championships (Tokyo) | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2010 | World Cup Almaty | 2nd | -81 kg |
| 2010 | Guangzhou Asian Games | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2010 | World Cup Suwon | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2011 | Grand Slam Paris | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2011 | Asian Championships (Abu Dhabi) | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2011 | Grand Slam Moscow | 5th | -81 kg |
| 2011 | World Championships (Paris) | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2012 | Asian Championships (Tashkent) | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2012 | London Summer Olympics | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2012 | Grand Slam Tokyo | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2013 | Grand Prix Düsseldorf | 3rd | -81 kg |
| 2013 | Grand Prix Jeju | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2014 | Grand Slam Paris | 3rd | -81 kg |
| 2014 | Incheon Asian Games | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2014 | Grand Prix Jeju | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2014 | Grand Slam Tokyo | 5th | -81 kg |
| 2015 | European Open Sofia | 1st | -81 kg |
| 2015 | European Open Rome | 3rd | -81 kg |
| 2015 | Asian Championships (Kuwait City) | 2nd | -81 kg |
| 2016 | Grand Prix Samsun | 5th | -81 kg |
2.3. Injuries and Resilience
Kim Jae-bum's career was significantly impacted by persistent injuries, yet he became known for his ability to overcome these challenges to achieve success. This resilience earned him the nickname "Man of One Arm Wins." Prior to the 2012 London Olympics, he suffered from multiple severe injuries, including a fracture in his right shoulder, a torn ligament in his right ring finger, and a sprain in his right knee. Despite these debilitating conditions, he reportedly had to receive painkillers before each match to be able to compete effectively. Kim attributed his ability to persevere through these physical adversities to his strong religious faith, stating that he was not afraid even with his right side compromised, believing that God had promised to use him.
3. Controversies and Incidents
Kim Jae-bum's public image was affected by several significant incidents, primarily involving legal and ethical issues related to his conduct outside of the sport.
3.1. Drunk Driving Incidents
Kim Jae-bum was involved in multiple drunk driving incidents, being caught a total of three times in 2007, 2008, and 2009. The incident in 2009 was particularly serious, as he was apprehended for drunk driving while operating a vehicle without a valid license and was involved in a minor collision. Given his two previous drunk driving offenses, he was ultimately indicted without detention for the 2009 incident. These repeated legal infractions raised ethical concerns and had a negative impact on his public perception.
4. Political Involvement
Kim Jae-bum had a brief period of involvement in political activities during an election campaign.
4.1. Election Campaign Appointment
On September 28, 2012, Kim Jae-bum was appointed to the Gyeongbuk (Gyeongsangbuk-do) Election Committee for Park Geun-hye, who was then the presidential candidate for the Saenuri Party. However, his involvement was short-lived, as he resigned from this position just three days later, on October 1, 2012.
5. Retirement and Post-Career
After a distinguished career in competitive judo, Kim Jae-bum announced his retirement and transitioned into coaching.
5.1. Retirement Announcement
Kim Jae-bum officially announced his retirement from professional judo on May 1, 2016. The decision to retire was primarily influenced by the cumulative effect of the numerous injuries he had sustained throughout his career.
5.2. Coaching Career
Following his retirement from competitive judo, Kim Jae-bum transitioned into a coaching role. He began his coaching career with his former affiliated team, Let's Run Park (Korean Horse Racing Authority).
6. Legacy and Evaluation
Kim Jae-bum is regarded as one of South Korea's most successful judokas, particularly for his dominance in the half-middleweight category between his Olympic debut in 2008 and his 2012 Olympic gold. His aggressive and relentless fighting style, combined with his remarkable stamina, earned him the affectionate nicknames "Korean Tiger" and "Energizer Bunny." Despite a career frequently hampered by injuries, his resilience and ability to perform at an elite level, even when physically compromised, solidified his reputation. His achievement of the judo Grand Slam underscores his consistent excellence across the sport's most prestigious tournaments. However, his legacy is also marked by the controversies surrounding his multiple drunk driving incidents, which brought legal and ethical scrutiny. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching, continuing to contribute to the sport.
