KOREA WHO
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Minister of Employment and Labor
Kim Moon-soo
From Labor Activist to Far-Right Icon, Rising as a ‘True Yoon’ Presidential Contender
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Last Updated on Mar 26, 2025
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Minister of Employment and Labor
Life Summary
Kim Moon-soo is the Minister of Employment and Labor.
In 2025, amid the political turmoil following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, he rapidly emerged as a leading presidential contender.
He was born on August 27, 1951, in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, as the third son among four sons and three daughters.
He graduated from Kyungbuk High School in Daegu and entered the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University, but was expelled due to involvement in the Mincheonghakryeon (National Democratic Youth and Students Federation) incident. He later graduated in 1994, 25 years after first enrolling.
As a university student, he worked as a sewing machine operator in Seoul’s Guro Industrial Complex to participate in the labor movement. He served as the union leader at Hanil Doruko under the Korean Metal Workers' Union. He was taken to the Namyeong-dong anti-communist investigation office in Seoul, where he was tortured and later imprisoned in Seodaemun Detention Center.
In 1986, he was imprisoned for leading the campaign to amend the constitution for direct presidential elections and was released in 1988 through a special amnesty.
Declaring that “the era of revolution is over,” he joined the New Korea Party (now the People Power Party) and was elected in the 15th general election in 1996, representing Sosa District in Bucheon. He went on to serve three terms in the National Assembly.
In the 4th local elections in 2006, he ran as the Grand National Party candidate for Gyeonggi Province Governor and was elected. He was re-elected for a second term.
He ran in the Saenuri Party’s presidential primary for the 18th presidential election in 2012 but lost to Park Geun-hye.
After that, Kim Moon-soo’s political career declined. In the 2016 general election, he ran in the conservative stronghold of Suseong District A in Daegu but was defeated. He also ran for Seoul Mayor in the 2018 local elections but lost.
In 2020, he left the Liberty Korea Party (now the People Power Party) and became the leader of the Liberty Unification Party, later serving as co-chair of the Liberty Republican Party. At this time, he was seen as having shifted to the far-right camp.
Following the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, he made a high-profile return as the first chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council.
In August 2024, he was appointed as Minister of Employment and Labor.
#KimMoonsoo #EmploymentandLabor #Koreanpolitics #YoonSukyeol #2025election #GyeonggiGovernor #SeoulNationalUniversity #labormovement #farRight #PeoplePowerParty
In 2025, amid the political turmoil following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, he rapidly emerged as a leading presidential contender.
He was born on August 27, 1951, in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, as the third son among four sons and three daughters.
He graduated from Kyungbuk High School in Daegu and entered the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University, but was expelled due to involvement in the Mincheonghakryeon (National Democratic Youth and Students Federation) incident. He later graduated in 1994, 25 years after first enrolling.
As a university student, he worked as a sewing machine operator in Seoul’s Guro Industrial Complex to participate in the labor movement. He served as the union leader at Hanil Doruko under the Korean Metal Workers' Union. He was taken to the Namyeong-dong anti-communist investigation office in Seoul, where he was tortured and later imprisoned in Seodaemun Detention Center.
In 1986, he was imprisoned for leading the campaign to amend the constitution for direct presidential elections and was released in 1988 through a special amnesty.
Declaring that “the era of revolution is over,” he joined the New Korea Party (now the People Power Party) and was elected in the 15th general election in 1996, representing Sosa District in Bucheon. He went on to serve three terms in the National Assembly.
In the 4th local elections in 2006, he ran as the Grand National Party candidate for Gyeonggi Province Governor and was elected. He was re-elected for a second term.
He ran in the Saenuri Party’s presidential primary for the 18th presidential election in 2012 but lost to Park Geun-hye.
After that, Kim Moon-soo’s political career declined. In the 2016 general election, he ran in the conservative stronghold of Suseong District A in Daegu but was defeated. He also ran for Seoul Mayor in the 2018 local elections but lost.
In 2020, he left the Liberty Korea Party (now the People Power Party) and became the leader of the Liberty Unification Party, later serving as co-chair of the Liberty Republican Party. At this time, he was seen as having shifted to the far-right camp.
Following the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, he made a high-profile return as the first chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council.
In August 2024, he was appointed as Minister of Employment and Labor.
#KimMoonsoo #EmploymentandLabor #Koreanpolitics #YoonSukyeol #2025election #GyeonggiGovernor #SeoulNationalUniversity #labormovement #farRight #PeoplePowerParty