Kim Kaphwan is a taekwondo master and recurring fighter in SNK's Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series. He's best known for his unwavering sense of justice and his signature fighting style grounded in martial arts discipline. His official nickname is The Crown Jewel of Taekwondo.
Originally, SNK had planned to team Kim with two small-time criminals—Chang Koehan and Choi Bounge—alongside another dangerous character as a "Fugitive Team." Instead, Kim was added to round out the roster, which ended up defining much of his character arc.
In the Fatal Fury tournament, Kim was the reigning taekwondo world champion when Wolfgang Krauser invited him to compete. There he met Terry Bogard, the "Lone Wolf," and the two quickly developed a mutual respect that evolved into genuine friendship, though they maintain a friendly competitive edge. Kim has remained one of Terry's biggest supporters ever since.
Back home in Korea, Kim became a national and sports hero. His celebrity status gave him enough credibility with authorities to take custody of Chang and Choi, aiming to rehabilitate them from their criminal lives. The two initially resented him for it, but have since grown to respect his efforts. Throughout most of his King of Fighters appearances, Kim has served as captain of Team Korea, and fans often note his role as the moral backbone of the series—a fighter who genuinely believes in using martial arts as a force for good.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
