The Rev. Kwang Woo Kim; Retired Methodist Minister

The Rev. Kwang Woo Kim, founding pastor of the Woodland Hills Korean United Methodist Church, has died at his Agoura Hills home. He was 83.

He died Tuesday from cancer, said his daughter, Youn Ja (Monica) Lee of Agoura Hills.

Kim immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1979 and the following year started a Korean congregation at the Woodland Hills First United Methodist Church. In 1981, he turned the ministerial duties over to his son, the Rev. Kuh Chung Kim of Agoura Hills.

Kim, who became a Methodist minister in Korea in 1937, traveled worldwide representing his country at religious conventions and wrote five Korean-language religious books.

In addition to his son and daughter, he is survived by his wife of 60 years, Yang Hie Pai of Agoura Hills; sons Joong Chung Kim of Encino, Kook Chung Kim of Diamond Bar and Woo Chung Kim of Westlake Village; daughters Soock Chung Kim of Claremont, Hae Chung Kim and Sung Ja Un of Seoul, and Boo Chung Lee of Hacienda Heights; a brother, the Rev. Kwang Dug Kim of Seoul; a sister, Bock Boon Kim of Gardena, and 21 grandchildren.

Visitation is planned from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight at Praiswater Funeral Home, 5849 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, which is handling the arrangements. A funeral is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Woodland Hills Korean United Methodist Church, 5650 Shoup Ave., with burial to follow at Forest Lawn Mortuary in Glendale.