Kim Moon-soo (politician)

For other people with similar names, see Kim Moon-soo.

In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.

Kim Moon-soo
김문수
Kim in 2025
Minister of Employment and Labour
In office August 30, 2024 – April 8, 2025
President	Yoon Suk-yeol Han Duck-soo (acting) Choi Sang-mok (acting)
Prime Minister	Han Duck-soo Choi Sang-mok (acting)
Preceded by	Lee Jung-sik
Succeeded by	Vacant
Governor of Gyeonggi Province
In office July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2014
Preceded by	Sohn Hak-kyu
Succeeded by	Nam Kyung-pil
Member of the National Assembly
In office May 30, 1996 – April 24, 2006
Preceded by	Park Kyu-sik
Succeeded by	Cha Myong-jin
Constituency	Sosa (Bucheon)
Personal details
Born	(1951-08-27) August 27, 1951 Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang, South Korea
Political party	People Power
Other political affiliations	Liberty Korea (until 2020)
Spouse	Seol Nan-young
Education	Seoul National University (BA)
Signature
Korean name
Hangul	김문수
Hanja	金文洙
Revised Romanization	Gim Mun-su
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Munsu

Kim Moon-soo (Korean: 김문수; born August 27, 1951) is a South Korean politician and former labor activist who served as the minister of employment and labor from 2024 to 2025. He is the nominee of the People Power Party in the 2025 presidential election.

Born in Yeongcheon, Kim graduated from Seoul National University in 1994, a degree he earned 25 years after first enrolling, having been expelled twice for participating in student protest against the government. A former labor activist, he began his career in politics when he participated in the foundation of the People's Party in 1990.

In 1996, Kim was elected to the 15th National Assembly at Sosa District, Bucheon, as a candidate for the New Korea Party. After continuing to serve as a member of the assembly for another two terms, he became elected by popular vote in 2006 Gyeonggi gubernatorial election, and consequently served as the governor of Gyeonggi Province from 2006 to 2014.

Early life and education

Kim was born on August 27, 1951, at Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, as the sixth child of four sons and three daughters. After graduating from Yeongcheon Elementary School in North Gyeongsang Province, he moved to Daegu without his family, where he attended Gyeongbuk Middle School and Gyeongbuk High School.

In 1970, Kim entered the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University, but was expelled in 1974 due to his involvement in the National Democratic Youth and Students Union case. He later graduated from Seoul National University in 1994, 25 years after his initial acceptance.

Career

Labor movement

In 1974, he served as the assistant cloth cutter at a fabric plant in Cheonggyecheon, acquiring national engineer's licenses for environmental management and safety management in 1977. He was elected as the Dorco Labor Union Leader of the Federation of Korean Metal Workers Trade Unions in 1978. He was arrested and tortured by the dictatorial government in 1980, but his indictment was suspended so that he could serve for Dorco again.

Kim served as the secretary of the Jeon Tae-il Memorial Society in 1985, and was arrested again for participating in the Incheon May 3 Protest for Constitutional Amendment for Direct Election System in 1986 when he served as the a member of the direction committee for Seoul Confederation of Labor Movement. He was tortured and was imprisoned for two and a half years.

Politics

In 1990, Kim Moon-Soo participated in the foundation of the Popular Party, and served as chair of the Labor Relations Committee. That same year, he ran in 1992 legislative election as candidate No. 3, but was defeated. After joining the Democratic Liberal Party in 1994, he ran for the 15th general election as a candidate for New Korea Party in 1996, and was elected.

Following his election, Kim Moon-Soo served as a member of the legislature, focusing on labor and environmental issues, as well as on transportation in the Seoul metropolitan area and childcare. Re-elected to the 16th and the 17th National Assemblies, Kim served for three consecutive terms as a member of the National Assembly. He served as the deputy floor leader for the Grand National Party.

After retiring from the National Assembly in 2006 to run for local government, Kim was elected Governor of Gyeonggi Province, taking office as the 4th Governor elected by public vote in July 2006.

In April 2012, Kim Moon-Soo declared his presidential candidacy in the primary election of the Saenuri Party. In announcing his candidacy, Kim asserted that the nomination of Park Geun-hye should not be viewed as axiomatic, despite a decade of preparation for the campaign on her part.

In September 2022, Kim was appointed as the chairman of the Economic, Social, and Labor Council by President Yoon Suk Yeol. In August 2024, despite opposition from labor groups and the Democratic Party, Kim was appointed as Minister of Employment and Labor. During the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis, Kim disagreed with Yoon's decision to declare martial law, but refused to join other members of the cabinet in making a public apology after it was revoked by the National Assembly and opposed Yoon's impeachment.

He announced his candidacy for the 2025 South Korean presidential election on April 9, five days after the Yoon's impeachment was upheld on April 4, saying, “I am the right candidate for Lee Jae-myung's opponent.” On 3 May, Kim was confirmed as the PPP’s official candidate for President after winning the final round of primaries. He garnered 56.5 percent of the vote, beating out former Party Leader Han Dong-hoon. Kim stated in his victory speech: “I’ll form a strong alliance with anyone to prevent a rule by Lee Jae-myung and his Democratic Party forces. I’ll push for that in a procedure and method that our people and party members accept, and I’ll ultimately win."

On May 6, Kim suspended his campaign activities and accused his People Power Party of failing to support him. He then engaged in talks with independent candidate Han Duck-soo on fielding a common conservative candidate for the election on May 7, which were inconclusive. Kim has claimed that the PPP and its chair, Kwon Young-se, has moved unilaterally to unify candidacies without consulting him.

External links

• Media related to Kim Moon-soo at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website
• Kim Moon-soo on Cyworld (in Korean)