Kim Young-hoon (union organizer)
Kim Young-hoon | |
|---|---|
| 김영훈 | |
.png) | |
| Minister of Employment and Labor | |
| Assumed office 21 July 2025 | |
| President | Lee Jae Myung |
| Prime Minister | Kim Min-seok |
| Preceded by | Kim Moon-soo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 January 1968 (age 57) Busan, South Korea |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Other political affiliations | Justice Party Democratic Alliance of Korea (formerly) |
| Alma mater | Dong-A University (BA) Sungkonghoe University (MA) |
| Occupation | Locomotive engineer, labor activist |
| Known for | Chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (2010–2012) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김영훈 |
| RR | Gim Yeonghun |
| MR | Kim Yŏnghun |
Kim Young-hoon (Korean: 김영훈; born 5 January 1968) is a South Korean labor activist and politician who has served as the country's ministry of employment and labor since July 2025.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Kim is born in 5 January 1968 in Busan, South Korea. He graduated from Masan Central High School and studied livestock management at Dong-A University. He later majored in political policy at the Graduate School of NGO Studies at Sungkonghoe University. After graduating, he began his career as a railroad engineer in 1992 at the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), the predecessor of the Korea Railroad Administration.[2]
Early career
[edit]He entered the labor movement by serving as the head of the Busan branch of the railroad union in 2000 and as national Chairperson in 2004. He held the position of Chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) from 2010 to 2012.[3]
Kim entered politics by joining the Justice Party in 2017 and ran as a proportional representative candidate in the 2020 and 2024 general elections. In the 2024 elections, he ran under the banner of the Democratic Alliance of Korea but was not elected. He also assisted President Lee Jae Myung in the 20th and 21st presidential elections. In April 2024, he received the 20th proportional representation seat from the Democratic Party of Korea's satellite party, the Democratic Alliance.[4]
He is currently employed as a locomotive engineer at Korea Railroad Corporation and serves as a public member of the Busan Regional Labor Relations Commission.[4]
Minister of Labor
[edit]In 2025, The presidential office designated the candidate, saying, "He has represented the voices of labor as a former Chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU)" and noted, "We expect him to play a role in strengthening the rights of workers through reducing industrial accidents, amending the yellow envelope law, and implementing a 4.5-day workweek."[2]
References
[edit]- ^ 고동욱 (2025-07-21). "李대통령, 김영훈 노동·김성환 환경·정은경 복지장관 임명안 재가". 연합뉴스 (in Korean).
- ^ a b Park So-jeong (June 23, 2025). "KCTU's Kim Young-hoon nominated as South Korea's Minister of Employment and Labor". ChosunBiz. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ Choi Yebin (June 23, 2025). "Kim Young-hoon drives train while nominated as Minister of Employment and Labor". Maeil Business Newspaper. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ a b Choi Jeong-yoon (June 23, 2025). "Kim Young-hoon: Former KCTU head to lead Labor Ministry". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2025-06-29.