[Profile] Han Jeong-ae, Minister of Environment Nominee... Three-term Lawmaker Specialized in Labor and Environment

Han Jeong-ae, Chair of the Policy Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] On the 30th, President Moon Jae-in nominated Han Jeong-ae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, as the new Minister of Environment.

Candidate Han was born in 1965 in Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do. She graduated from Busan Haeundae Girls' High School and Busan National University with a degree in Environmental Engineering, and completed a master's degree in Environmental Engineering at Busan National University. In 2003, she earned a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Nottingham in the UK.

From 2005 to 2006, she served as the chairperson of the labor union at the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and was active as the senior vice chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Public Federation, a member of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Development Committee of the Tripartite Commission, and a member of the National Pension Fund Management Committee.

She later joined the Democratic Party and entered politics as a commissioner of the Korea Federation of Trade Unions Integration Committee of the Citizens' Unity Party.

In the 2012 19th National Assembly election, candidate Han was elected as a proportional representative for the Democratic United Party and entered the National Assembly.

She served as a supreme council member of the Democratic United Party Emergency Committee and as the party's floor deputy representative.

In the 2016 20th general election, she ran for the Seoul Gangseo-byeong district and was elected as a local member of the National Assembly, continuing her position as a three-term lawmaker through the 21st National Assembly. Until May, she served as the secretary of the Environment and Labor Committee of the 20th National Assembly.

Currently, she is the chairperson of the Democratic Party Policy Committee and co-chair of the National Assembly Climate Change Forum, earning recognition for her deep understanding of environmental policy.

▲1965 Chungbuk Danyang ▲Busan Haeundae Girls' High School ▲Busan National University Environmental Engineering Bachelor’s and Master’s completed ▲University of Nottingham UK Industrial Engineering Ph.D. ΔChairperson of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency Labor Union ΔDirector of External Cooperation at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions ▲19th, 20th, and 21st National Assembly Member ▲Secretary of the Environment and Labor Committee of the 20th National Assembly ▲Co-chair of the National Assembly Climate Change Forum ▲Chairperson of the Democratic Party Policy Committee