Tim Walz brings veteran touch to Harris's White House campaign

Tim Walz is now running as the Democratic Party’s vice president candidate alongside current Vice President Kamala Harris in her quest to best former President Donald Trump of the Republican Party in the race for the nation's top office.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, speaks at a campaign event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Oct 15. [AP/YONHAP]

Minnesota governor Tim Walz is a veteran politician with six consecutive terms as senator under his belt. He is now running as the Democratic Party’s vice president candidate alongside current Vice President Kamala Harris in her quest to best former President Donald Trump of the Republican Party in the race for the nation's top office.

Walz's political career began in 2006 when he was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In Congress, he opposed free trade deals with Peru, Panama and Colombia. However, Walz changed course by supporting an FTA with South Korea in 2011. The bilateral FTA was first signed in 2007, ratified twice in 2011 by both nations and entered into effect in 2012.

Walz, a former high school teacher and football coach, was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.

As governor of Minnesota, he traveled to South Korea in 2019, along with Japan, to "highlight Minnesota's long history of engagement with South Korea and future opportunities for economic partnership," including increasing exports of Minnesota-produced agricultural products, medical devices and clean energy products.

Walz was seen as the most left-leaning candidate among the three running-mate finalists — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.

During his tenure, Walz has championed several progressive policies, including universal free school meals, protection of women's reproductive rights and abortion, strengthening voting rights, tax cuts for the middle class, expanding paid leave and legalizing recreational marijuana. His governance motto has been to make Minnesota "the best state in the country for kids to grow up."

Walz has highlighted his personal and familial ties to Korea and his long military service during the Democrats’ campaign rallies and speeches.

During his first campaign appearance with Harris in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Walz shared a story about his father, a 1950-53 Korean War veteran, and how his encouragement led Walz to enlist in the military.

"My dad served in the Army during the Korean War, and with his encouragement, at 17, I joined the Army National Guard," Walz said.

"For 24 years, I proudly wore the uniform of this nation. And just as it did for my dad and millions of others, the G.I. Bill gave me a shot at a college education," Walz added. The G.I. Bill refers to programs created to assist American military veterans.

In previous interviews, Walz has frequently discussed his father's influence, explaining that he enlisted to make his father proud.

In an interview with American radio station MPR, Walz recounted how his father took him the day after his 17th birthday to Springview, Nebraska, where they found a lieutenant to swear him into the Nebraska National Guard.

Walz noted that his father, who served during the Korean War, knew he was ill and that the G.I. Bill would fund Walz’s education. His father died of lung cancer a year after Walz's graduation, leaving the family in a "pretty precarious" situation.

Regarding foreign policy toward Korea, Walz said during his VP debate with Republican candidate JD Vance that “our allies matter.”

“When our allies see Donald Trump turn toward Vladimir Putin, turn toward North Korea, when we start to see that type of fickleness around holding the coalitions together, we will stay committed,” assured Walz. “And as Vice President Harris said today, we will protect our forces and our allied forces.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]