In memoriam

Dec 6, 2006 Author: Veronica | Filed under: babble

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been with us this past week, and for all your letters and messages. I cannot even fathom what the Kims are going through right now, it’s unimaginable.

This whole week has been a blur - caught between hope and dread, myself and my co-workers at CNET have gone through the motions everyday, waiting for any news that came through. In the middle of recording Buzz Out Loud today, we got the e-mail saying James was found, condition unknown. When we finally learned that he wasn’t with us anymore, it was like being hit with a sledgehammer.

I’ve always known, but truly realized today, what a wonderful company CNET is. For everything they’ve done in this whole process, from keeping us updated to making sure we had someone to talk to when things got really bad, I’m thankful to them. But I know CNET won’t ever be the same again. I still can’t believe I won’t see James everyday, or tease him for being late to a shoot, or laugh with him about some ridiculous gadget on Crave.

As many of you have said, James died a hero. I wish you had never left that car, James, but I’m grateful that I knew someone so brave and selfless that he would do anything to save his family.

Someone in my group at work was able to put together a tribute to James. I think it perfectly shows how passionate James was about his work, and how he made everything so effortless and fun.

I am going to miss the hell out of you.

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62 Responses for "In memoriam"

Joon December 6th, 2006 at 9:02 pm 1

Rest in peace, James, Rest in peace. We will remember you.
Joon December 6th, 2006 at 9:04 pm 2

Rest in peace, James, rest in peace. You’ve done everything to save your family and now they are. You truly are the man.
Lucas Chan December 6th, 2006 at 9:05 pm 3

Very sad news. Sending lots of good vibes to you and everyone at CNET.
Jim December 6th, 2006 at 9:09 pm 4

Praying for you V and the entire CNET family. We are all praying for the Kim family, but we forget sometimes how much time we spend with coworkers and how much impact they have on us. Your post hit home on how we should also treasure those special people we work with.

I watched your last Crave video like three times. Man, I am going to miss James.
Albert Chiu December 6th, 2006 at 9:11 pm 5

James was a hero. I could only imagine the type of man he was to have friends and family who loved him so much. May he rest in peace and may everyone at CNET honor his memory.
tuan December 6th, 2006 at 9:13 pm 6

R.I.P James, I will miss you dearly.
Dillon K. December 6th, 2006 at 9:22 pm 7

Aww it was so sad, Tom Merit’s intro to today’s CNET TV. He was almost crying, and I was in tears by the time the playlist went to the ‘memorium’

Rest in Peace, James Kim :’|
MRudd December 6th, 2006 at 9:23 pm 8

James, you were part of a great team that really enriched my life. I know your love, care, and passion for life will continue through you lovely family. I will miss your wonderful input in the CNet family.
Rest in peace James, your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Dillon K. December 6th, 2006 at 9:24 pm 9

Also, is this why there wasn’t a Buzz Out Loud today…?

I’ll really miss seeing you and James on the Crave video podcast… Will Tom end up your co-host, Veronica?
Gordon Lam December 6th, 2006 at 9:27 pm 10

I want to cry.. although I dont know him.

Plz, make a donation.. I think this is the only thing I can do.

RIP James.
Jonathan December 6th, 2006 at 9:29 pm 11

My condolences to you and the c|Net family, from a faithful listener of BOL.
Paul N. December 6th, 2006 at 9:41 pm 12

I miss him already. He is a great guy
tristan December 6th, 2006 at 9:45 pm 13

I’m at a loss of words over this news. I wish so badly that it would have turned out differently.

I only know James through his reports at CNET, but I can tell that he put out into the world a kind of positive, warming and calming energy. You can just feel it. I hope that all those who have had the privledge to have been touched by James’s energy can honor and cherish it and spread this same kind of energy around in their own lives.
Rodrigo December 6th, 2006 at 9:47 pm 14

Dad/Hero.
I hope that when I grow up I can have at least half of the courage that he had to face all my problems…
We’ll miss you a lot James.
David Roche December 6th, 2006 at 10:05 pm 15

I don’t know James other than from his work with CNET and the former TechTV, but today’s news hit me hard, and I’m not normally one to get caught up in personal dramas like this. It just chokes me up everytime I see his picture… I am so so glad his wife and daughters are alive, but I can not fathom the pain they are going through.

Thank you, Veronica, for your tribute.
Charlie December 6th, 2006 at 10:19 pm 16

I didn’t know James, but I was a fan of the MP3 Insider show, and his product reviews. Of course I’ve been following the news and even though I didn’t know him personally, I felt he knew his audience.
Scott December 6th, 2006 at 10:21 pm 17

I like the others here didn’t know James personally except when i brought him into my home on TechTv or through my computer with the various video segments and articles James wrote. I am saddened by this loss, and I will keep everyone who knew him or worked with him in my prayers

RIP James you will be missed
Ferdie December 6th, 2006 at 10:44 pm 18

I never met James personally, and yet somehow I felt I lost a friend today. James has displayed nothing short of true heroism and love
for his family on his final days. As a father of two myself, I take from this tragedy a renewed commitment to focus on what truly are the more important important things in life: loving family and friends, and the desire to do good things for others - precisely the same things James enjoyed having and doing. I wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to his family.
To Veronica (and Tom and Molly): my sympathies as well…I remain, a loyal “cyber” friend.
Ryan December 6th, 2006 at 10:54 pm 19

First, I’d like to offer my condolences to the Kim’s and Cnet.

Safe to say that we can call James, “World’s Best Dad”. What a brave and heroic act to have began a trek to ultimately save his family. It’s just too bad things couldn’t have turned out any better. I admire people who are passionate about their life and work, and you could truly see it when James was reviewing.

RIP James.
Earl December 6th, 2006 at 11:35 pm 20

Rest in Peace, James. I never met him. I only knew him through his video streams on CNET. But I bet he was the kind of guy whom everyone felt comfortable around with his positive energy and humor. I could see it through his videocasts. He is a true hero, and I will strive to be more like him, as many others should. Life is fleeting, and let’s not forget that in the frustrations of our daily lives.
Willy December 7th, 2006 at 12:12 am 21

James, I never personally knew you, but I’ve been watching your videos for as long as I can remember. Whenever I was interested in a new gadget, you were there. To think that I was just watching you joyfully put the Zune through its paces weeks ago, and now I’ll never see your amazing smile again really saddens me. You left us out there a true hero, and I’ll miss you so much.
Michael H. December 7th, 2006 at 12:15 am 22

I enjoyed his humor and insight on the Crave video podcasts alongside you, as well as his video product reviews. I remember him from TechTV too. This is a sad day for anyone that knew him, even if only through the TV programs, podcasts and video reviews. He was a brave man for venturing out in an attempt to save his family. I too wish he would have stayed in the car but I admire his quiet courage nonetheless.

After the initial shock wears off, I hope that everyone can remember him for his life and not for his tragic death. The two of you made gadget reviews fun, and his devotion to his family should be an example for all fathers. I hope his family and everyone at CNET is doing as well as can be expected. Keep your chins up and remember that James is most certainly in a better place now.

We’ll miss you, James.
rick rey December 7th, 2006 at 12:27 am 23

I am so sorry. James will be missed by many. What he did for his family was such a courageous and noble thing. To call him a hero is an understatement. Rest in peace.
Gordon Lam December 7th, 2006 at 12:56 am 24

I just dropped off some roses at cnet and his apothecary..

i saw a lot of candles in front of the store..
Mark Zita from Aus December 7th, 2006 at 1:34 am 25

Well said V. We’re gonna miss you James, rest in peace mate.
Gijs December 7th, 2006 at 5:17 am 26

Disbelief.

Hadn’t visited CNET in a couple of weeks so I didn’t know anything about James gone missing. Until i switched on the tv this morning and heard on the Dutch news that the father of a snowed in family had been found dead. When they said his name was James Kim, for some reason I immediatly thought it was him. Rushed to the computer and went to CNET.com, seeing his picture there left me in total disbelief. It’s weird how you can feel so close to somebody you only know from videos and a website.

We’ll miss you and my thoughts are with his family and everybody who was close to him.

Gijs

Utrecht, The Netherlands
David Birney December 7th, 2006 at 6:25 am 27

Veronica that was so well said. I have watched James for years, and will miss him greatly. I to wish he had stayed at the car, but he truly did die a hero. I certainly like to think that that ping on the cell tower that helped them to locate the Kim family was James making it just far enough to get the briefest of signals. My thoughts are truly with you and the rest of Cnet and with James family, especially his daughters whom I have seen pictures of for years when James tested digital camera’s.
Jason December 7th, 2006 at 6:49 am 28

I’m a total stranger, but I feel like I’ve gotten to know the CNET crew over the past months. At the college I work at, we’ve been trying to start a technology website and podcast just related to talking about stuff informally. I’ve been using the CNET podcasts and the video you pump through my TiVo as inspiration for how we can style our discussions about technology. (We haven’t started the podcast portion yet, but hopefully soon!) I’ve always had a fondness for the frank and personal style James had, where he was a techie, but also just a regular guy giving his opinion. He struck a pretty good balance!

It was especially heartbreaking to watch Tom’s video introduction to your tribute on CNET.com, because just like where I work, CNET seems to be a true family. Our thoughts are with you and the whole gang. Keep doing what you do and keep doing it well!
Christian December 7th, 2006 at 7:55 am 29

I think James teach a lesson, to love work, friends and family so much that you give life for them, dear V i know how bad you fell and I can only wish you all guys at CNET can get over the situation and say that no matter how cloudy it is, the sun always is behind the clouds expect him with hope…
jeremiah December 7th, 2006 at 8:17 am 30

i didn’t know james, but knew he worked for cnet, which always makes me think of you. and his wife knew some of my other friends. my thoughts go out to his family and to his friends (i.e. you).
victor December 7th, 2006 at 8:30 am 31

My condolences to everyone who knew him.
He will be missed.
Andrew December 7th, 2006 at 8:30 am 32

We will miss you James, So so much. This is such a sad sad story. It really touches me, and makes me think how delicate life really is. RIP James, you will many by many.
Jyh December 7th, 2006 at 9:01 am 33

James, the impact you had on those around is unimaginable. Your selfless act and love for family is an inspiration in life, and the unknown after. All those that had the pleasure to meet you will treasure the time they had. Know that your wife, darling kids, and family will be cared for and loved.

Bless your soul.
Douglas December 7th, 2006 at 10:38 am 34

Made a little YouTube tribute for you Veronica. I hope this helps a little bit. It’s hard to think about CNET without him. Here’s the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5eI0PgJ7oU
Jason Howell December 7th, 2006 at 12:11 pm 35

Chin up V. I can only imagine how you must be feeling. This has really been an eye opener.

Funny that you mention how impressed you have been with CNET. I said the same thing to my wife last night as we talked about everything that happened yesterday. I am so impressed with the family approach that CNET has brought to this situation. It really has helped me feel even more a part of this “family”. It’s always interesting to me how experiences like this, albeit sad and difficult to take, can really bring people together on another level. There is good to come out of something like this. Keep that in mind.

We keep saying it but really, let’s do lunch sometime before the holiday. k?
Roger December 7th, 2006 at 12:42 pm 36

Heaven has a new hero.

RIP James

I’m gonna miss you.
Ralph December 7th, 2006 at 1:15 pm 37

When I first read the news about a man gone missing and that it was James Kim.. my heart just sunk.
I will always remember with great fondness the days of TechTv with Leo and the gang and here at CNet. He showed great enthusiasm for products he reviewed (when he liked them) and lack of joy, yet funny when he didn’t. I’ve respected him on a professional level; for James brought abit of “geekdom” to his reviews… entertaining yet unbias. Now I will respect him as a courageous,loving husband and father that the rest of the world got to see for those few days. May God bless James Kim and his family.
Blaze December 7th, 2006 at 1:35 pm 38

I am really sad. I am 13 and all of the CNET staff are my heros.

This crushes me.

He is my Hero!

Blaze, 13
Tommy December 7th, 2006 at 1:44 pm 39

Like a lot of people I felt like I knew James, even just a little bit, through his videos, his reviews, etc…I loved those, and loved his insight and his advice.. A lot of people all around the world are going to miss him… I live in Belgium and I already had a couple of friends talking about it and they are all deeply saddened.

Rest in peace, James.. we’ll all miss you…
Russel December 7th, 2006 at 3:49 pm 40

i’m listening to the buzzcast for today.. with james as a guest co-host.. wow.. this is so sad.. poor james..
alexandru December 7th, 2006 at 4:43 pm 41

this is what I have to say:
Rojaz December 7th, 2006 at 4:46 pm 42

I’m also a young kid (16) and I will feel for you V, i loved watching and listening to you both in your podcasts, you both seemed to have a blast together, but now, sadly, i wont see or hear James. I just want to say “be strong V” we all miss James very much…
Pierre December 7th, 2006 at 5:13 pm 43

I’m thankful for every second I spent reading and watching his reviews. He emanated such warmth and calm. This whole ordeal has brought communities worldwide closer and the support given made me never give up hope. I hope he’d be proud.
Jeff Duke December 7th, 2006 at 6:24 pm 44

Veronica-

I’ll be praying for you all. This whole event has touched me greatly. It is very hard to explain, but I feel very sad about what happened to him. He was always impressive in his field, seeing how impressive he was as a father and friend, it just shatters my heart.

I can only imagine how you all must feel.

Hearing you and James and the rest of the Cnet podcasters virtually every day for so long, it certainly brings it closer to home for me.

Because of the quality of life he lived, we are all better for having known him.

May we all live life to the quality he did.
Bob December 7th, 2006 at 7:09 pm 45

I’ve been a follower of James since his days at TechTV and looked forward to each of his reviews and ‘casts from CNET. He will be sorely missed.

My condolences to his family as well as the CNET crew.

Godspeed James….
Justine December 7th, 2006 at 8:09 pm 46

I know how you feel. Going through the motions. I hate that. You have this God-awful feeling in your heart, because you dont know if your friend is alive or not.. and you just try and keep yourself busy all day because its the only thing that keeps your mind off it..

I think this is horrible, but he died a hero and I bet he’s doing great where he is now. they only possible way i could somewhat relate to this was when my dog ran away for a month… but i’m only 16.

when i first read the bulletin about him and his family missing i thought it was a joke. when i found out they found his family, i wondered what he would say on his first podcast/review back.. it’s hard to believe.

he pwned us all. if he were on counter-strike, he’d be a headshot all the time..

you’ll get through it. :[
eric park December 7th, 2006 at 8:45 pm 47

i dont know james at all but i did enjoy watching him on cnet for mp3s and on crave…i am very much into mp3s so i would check out his advices all the time, so he was in a way there for me when i needed him..now he wont be around and it hurts. i hope his wife and family is doing well we will all miss you james
Giantfan December 8th, 2006 at 9:08 am 48

My prayers go out to all of you folks at CNET, and most importantly to the Kim family. While I never met James I listened to him on the various podcasts and video casts and respected his knowledge and opinion. Why is it that good men die young…..we’ll never quite know the answer to that question but based on what I’ve read and seen with regards to James Kim he certainly was a “good” man.
Andre December 8th, 2006 at 10:04 am 49

James was a hero, and should be remembered as such. He was presented with a challenge of unparalleled proportion, and rose to meet it. In his last efforts, he is a giant amongst men. We should all hope to stand as tall as he is now, as he looks down on us from a better place.
Brian December 8th, 2006 at 11:07 am 50

Veronica,

I’m very sorry for your loss. I, like most of the people posting here, only knew James through his CNet reviews and the Tivo spots that appear on my TV every week. His charm and humor were obvious to all who watched him. He is a true hero, laying down his life for those he loved. May he rest in peace.
Jonathan C December 8th, 2006 at 12:17 pm 51

I’m so sorry veronica, i know there isnt much i can say that’ll make this all go away or make things better. but all that kevin and i can offer is our love and support for you, cnet, as well as friends and family of James. I cried softly yesterday morning 33,000ft on a flight to florida…i couldnt hold it in anymore. if there’s anything you or anyone else needs, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us ok? im very sure james is happy that his wife and girls are ok…he isnt truly gone, his spirit lies inside his family is all. feel better
Kevin December 9th, 2006 at 5:56 am 52

The difficulty of the choices that James and Kati had to make are mind blowing. What a tragic, tragic story!
eric f. December 9th, 2006 at 9:50 am 53

So many of us have been watching and reading and hoping over the past week, and we didn’t even know him. I took it hard, so I can’t imagine what his family and friends at cnet must be feeling.
Romain December 9th, 2006 at 1:39 pm 54

Je n’ai pas de mots assez forts pour exprimer ma tristesse. Et encore moins de mots pour l’exprimer en Anglais…
Mes prières seront pour lui et sa famille.
Michael B. December 9th, 2006 at 9:13 pm 55

I am so sorry for our loss. Thanks for having the courage to talk about it hear and I loved the CNet retrospective on his time there.
Owen Lenegan December 10th, 2006 at 7:52 am 56

I Love all you CNET crew but James was something else; an incredible guy whom I respected immensely.

The staggering response to your passing is a testament to what a quality guy you were. For your life and for your sacrifice the world is proud, James. Rest in peace china… you will be missed.
Kim Roberson December 11th, 2006 at 9:37 am 57

Hi Veronica,
I’m so very sorry to hear about James and have been keeping his family and all of you at CNET in my thoughts. I just came across this NPR story that came out over the weekend, “The Heroism of James Kim”. Thought you would like to see it if you haven’t already.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6602542
Michael G December 14th, 2006 at 11:03 am 58

I am sad. That is all that I can put into words. Just sad.
Marten December 18th, 2006 at 9:00 pm 59

I can only hope that the family feeling you have for CNET isn’t lost. I like to think of times like this as a moment for the CNET family to pull tighter. From the outside, we tend to see you that way. B)
Veronica Belmont » Life and death on the Internet August 30th, 2007 at 11:05 am 60

[...] when James Kim, my good friend and coworker at CNET, passed away this last December it was astonishing to see the outpouring of support from the online community. As the Internet [...]
| August 30th, 2007 at 9:15 pm 61

[...] when James Kim, my good friend and coworker at CNET, passed away this last December it was astonishing to see the outpouring of support from the online community. As the Internet [...]
Mattan September 1st, 2007 at 7:49 am 62

I didn’t know…how sad. Ive been watching “First Look” and I said: “Where is James???” and now I enterd here and I saw this. How sad! Ill miss you. R.I.P. Way To Go V for making a page for him, and your words are incredible!