KOREA WHO

Kim Moon-soo is the Minister of Employment and Labor.

He faces the challenge of persuading the opposition and labor sectors to support the smooth governance of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

He also needs to overcome the controversy surrounding his reversal of the path he once took during his past labor movements and political activities.

Born on August 27, 1951, in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, as the third son among four sons and three daughters, he grew up in a difficult family environment.

He graduated from Gyeongbuk High School in Daegu and entered the Business Administration Department at Seoul National University but was expelled due to involvement in the Mincheonghakryeon incident. He eventually graduated in 1994, 25 years later.

During his university days, he worked as a sewing machine operator at the Guro Industrial Complex in Seoul to participate in labor movements. After being expelled from the university, he dedicated himself to labor activism while working in various factories as a laborer.

He served as the head of the labor union at the Hanil Doruko plant under the Korea Metal Workers' Union and was once taken to the Namyeong-dong anti-communist investigation office in Seoul, where he was tortured and imprisoned at Seodaemun Detention Center.

He co-founded the Korea Workers' Welfare Association with Bang Yong-seok and served as its vice-chairman. He also worked as the secretary-general of the Jeon Tae-il Memorial Foundation and as a guidance committee member of the Seoul Regional Labor Movement Alliance.

In 1986, he was imprisoned for leading the campaign for constitutional amendments to adopt a direct presidential election system. After serving two years and six months, he was released in 1988 under a special pardon.

He participated in the founding of the People's Party, served as the head of its Labor Committee, and ran in the 14th general election, but was not elected.

Later, declaring that "the era of revolution is over," he joined the ruling Democratic Liberal Party. He ran in the 15th general election under the banner of the New Korea Party, which succeeded the Democratic Liberal Party, and was elected in Bucheon Sosa District. He went on to serve three terms as a member of the National Assembly, representing the 15th, 16th, and 17th sessions.

After resigning as a National Assembly member, he ran as the Hannara Party candidate for Gyeonggi Governor in the 4th local elections and was elected. He was re-elected as Governor. During his tenure as Governor of Gyeonggi, he ran in the Saenuri Party primary for the presidential election ahead of the 18th general election but lost to Park Geun-hye.

He declared that he would not run for Gyeonggi Governor before the 6th local elections. In the 20th general election, he ran in the Daegu Suseong-gu A district but lost to Kim Boo-kyum, the candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea. In the 7th local elections, he ran for Seoul Mayor as the Liberty Korea Party candidate but was defeated.

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