Kim Young-hoon (union organizer)
Kim Young-hoon | |
|---|---|
| 김영훈 | |
| Minister of Employment and Labor | |
| Assuming office TBA | |
| President | Lee Jae Myung |
| Prime Minister | Kim Min-seok |
| Succeeding | Kim Moon-soo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1968 Busan, South Korea |
| Alma mater | Dong-A University (A.B.), Sungkonghoe University (M.A.) |
| 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 1968) is a South Korean labor activist and politician. He is currently nominated to serve as the country's Minister of Employment and Labor.[1]
Early life and education
Kim is born in 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
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 United Party 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.[1]
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.[1]
Minister of Labor
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
- ^ a b c Choi Jeong-yoon (June 23, 2025). "Kim Young-hoon: Former KCTU head to lead Labor Ministry". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ 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.