KOREA WHO
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Policy Committee Chair, Democratic Party of Korea
Kwon Chil-seung
Former SMEs Minister and Policy Veteran, Three-Term Lawmaker with Pro-Roh and Pro-Moon Roots
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Last Updated on Oct 29, 2026
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Policy Committee Chair, Democratic Party of Korea
Life Summary
Kwon Chil-seung is chair of the Policy Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea.
He oversees the party's economic and livelihood policies and plays a role in supporting the Lee Jae-myung administration's national policy agenda and major legislation.
He was born in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on November 8, 1965.
He attended Daegu Middle School and Kyungbuk High School before graduating from Korea University with a degree in economics. After graduating from university, he joined Samsung Group and participated in the labor movement, including serving as a labor union steering committee member at Korea Automobile Insurance Corporation.
He began his political career in 1997 when he joined the election planning team for presidential candidate Kim Dae-jung of the National Congress for New Politics (now the Democratic Party of Korea) during the 15th presidential election. He subsequently worked at the central party offices of the National Congress for New Politics, the Millennium Democratic Party and the Uri Party.
In 2004, he moved to an administrative officer position in the Office of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the presidential office and worked at the Blue House under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. During his time at the Blue House, he established a connection with former President Moon Jae-in, who was then senior secretary for civil affairs.
After serving in positions including an aide to a National Assembly member, he began his career as an elected politician when he won a seat on the Gyeonggi Provincial Council in the 2010 local elections.
He was re-elected to the provincial council in 2014 and entered the National Assembly for the first time after running in the Hwaseong C constituency in Gyeonggi-do in the 20th general election in 2016. He won re-election in the same constituency in the 21st general election in 2020, becoming a two-term National Assembly member.
In February 2021, he was appointed the third minister of SMEs and Startups under the Moon Jae-in administration and served until May 2022.
After stepping down as minister, he returned to the National Assembly and was appointed chief spokesperson in March 2023 under Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.
He ran in the Hwaseong C constituency in Gyeonggi-do in the 22nd general election in 2024 and won a third term in the National Assembly.
In March 2026, he was elected chair of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee and pursued legislation related to local autonomy, including a special law supporting special-status cities.
On August 18, 2026, he was appointed the first chair of the Policy Committee under Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok.
#KwonChilSeung #DemocraticPartyOfKorea #PolicyCommittee #NationalAssembly #MinistryOfSMEsAndStartups #LeeJaeMyungAdministration #MoonJaeInAdministration #GyeonggiProvince #PoliticalCareer #SouthKoreanPolitics
He oversees the party's economic and livelihood policies and plays a role in supporting the Lee Jae-myung administration's national policy agenda and major legislation.
He was born in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on November 8, 1965.
He attended Daegu Middle School and Kyungbuk High School before graduating from Korea University with a degree in economics. After graduating from university, he joined Samsung Group and participated in the labor movement, including serving as a labor union steering committee member at Korea Automobile Insurance Corporation.
He began his political career in 1997 when he joined the election planning team for presidential candidate Kim Dae-jung of the National Congress for New Politics (now the Democratic Party of Korea) during the 15th presidential election. He subsequently worked at the central party offices of the National Congress for New Politics, the Millennium Democratic Party and the Uri Party.
In 2004, he moved to an administrative officer position in the Office of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the presidential office and worked at the Blue House under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. During his time at the Blue House, he established a connection with former President Moon Jae-in, who was then senior secretary for civil affairs.
After serving in positions including an aide to a National Assembly member, he began his career as an elected politician when he won a seat on the Gyeonggi Provincial Council in the 2010 local elections.
He was re-elected to the provincial council in 2014 and entered the National Assembly for the first time after running in the Hwaseong C constituency in Gyeonggi-do in the 20th general election in 2016. He won re-election in the same constituency in the 21st general election in 2020, becoming a two-term National Assembly member.
In February 2021, he was appointed the third minister of SMEs and Startups under the Moon Jae-in administration and served until May 2022.
After stepping down as minister, he returned to the National Assembly and was appointed chief spokesperson in March 2023 under Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.
He ran in the Hwaseong C constituency in Gyeonggi-do in the 22nd general election in 2024 and won a third term in the National Assembly.
In March 2026, he was elected chair of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee and pursued legislation related to local autonomy, including a special law supporting special-status cities.
On August 18, 2026, he was appointed the first chair of the Policy Committee under Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok.
#KwonChilSeung #DemocraticPartyOfKorea #PolicyCommittee #NationalAssembly #MinistryOfSMEsAndStartups #LeeJaeMyungAdministration #MoonJaeInAdministration #GyeonggiProvince #PoliticalCareer #SouthKoreanPolitics