[Uncharted Koreatown] Homie Restaurant: A Home for Korean Democracy

San Wang Restaurant – 1682 Post St, San Francisco * In the color photo, President Kim Young-sam (right, in office 1993–1998); in the black-and-white photo, President Kim Dae-jung (left, in office 1998–2003) | Photo © KARA SF, 2025.

A Death Sentence, and the World’s Response

In the winter of 1980, a chill ran through Korea’s fragile democratic hopes. Kim Dae-jung (1924–2009), a prominent voice for democratic reform, was sentenced to death by the military dictatorship on charges of sedition, attempting to seize power, and inciting the Gwangju Uprising. The verdict shocked the world. Just weeks before leaving office, U.S. President Jimmy Carter sprang into action. Across party lines, president-elect Ronald Reagan’s team joined in. The two administrations, politically divided yet morally aligned, worked in rare tandem to halt the execution. The message from Washington to Seoul was urgent and clear: executing Kim would not be tolerated. According to declassified U.S. documents, “Allen was able to secure an agreement under which Kim’s life would be spared in return for the invitation to Chun and a new start to bilateral relations.” [Link] It was a turning point where diplomacy, human rights, and high-stakes geopolitics converged to protect a life—and a movement.

Exile in America

In 1982, Kim’s death sentence was reduced to 20 years in prison. Then, in a surprising move that December, he was released and flown to the United States under the pretense of seeking medical care. In reality, Korea’s authoritarian regime—pressured by international outrage—had exiled one of its most formidable critics. Though Kim had signed a pledge promising not to engage in politics while abroad, he saw exile not as an end, but a new beginning. In America, he found the global platform he needed. He met tirelessly with U.S. politicians, journalists, academics, and religious leaders to reveal the realities of repression in South Korea. Korean Americans, too, rallied behind him, recognizing that his fight for freedom was inseparable from their own longing for a just and democratic homeland.

San Wang Restaurant: A Place of Welcome

In San Francisco, one unlikely place became a quiet stronghold of this movement: San Wang Restaurant. Long before Kim Dae-jung’s exile, this unassuming eatery had already welcomed fellow democracy leader Kim Young-sam (1927–2015), who frequented the restaurant during a 1975 trip to oppose the Yushin constitutional reforms. Still hanging inside San Wang is a calligraphic scroll gifted by Kim Young-sam, reading “Daedo Moomoon” (大道無門) – “The great way has no gate.” Owner Wang Duk-bok received the piece in 1987 during a visit to Seoul. But it was during Kim Dae-jung’s exile that the restaurant’s role grew even more symbolic. As one of Korea’s leading opposition figures, Kim was welcomed with warmth and solidarity. Wang refused to accept payment for his meals, offering instead support for the dream of a democratic Korea. Photos of both Kims—two future presidents—still grace the restaurant’s walls, a quiet testament to the history once written there over bowls of rice and conversation.

Return, Recognition, and Reunification

Kim Dae-jung returned to Korea and won the presidency in December 1997. Just months into his term, in June 1998, he made an official visit to San Francisco. Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr. warmly received him and presented him with honorary citizenship. In 2000, Kim became the first Korean recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize—recognized for his lifelong commitment to democracy, human rights, and North–South reconciliation, including the landmark June 15 Joint Declaration. As the first laureate of the 21st century, his award drew global attention to the Korean Peninsula and gave renewed momentum to hopes for peace, reunification, and lasting democracy.

Democracy Begins at the Table

Democracy doesn’t always start in grand assemblies or marble-floored halls. Sometimes, it begins in a modest neighborhood restaurant—where an exile is offered a warm meal and a seat at the table. In San Francisco, Kim Dae-jung found not just refuge, but a sense of belonging. As an honorary citizen, and as a symbol of shared democratic values, he and the leaders who stood beside him will always be welcome in this city. San Wang Restaurant remains a quiet witness to that legacy—and a reminder that the journey from exile to Nobel Peace Prize often begins with a simple gesture of hospitality.