Former Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo appointed as the first Chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration [Image source=Yonhap News]
Kim Moon-soo, former governor of Gyeonggi Province, has been appointed as the chairman (minister-level) of the Economic, Social and Labor Council, which will lead discussions on labor reforms such as the 52-hour workweek under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. Chairman Kim is a politician with a background as a labor activist and has previously sparked controversy due to his excessively far-right actions. The presidential office views Chairman Kim as the right person to actively push forward labor reforms, but significant opposition from large labor unions is expected to cause conflicts.
Chairman Kim was born in September 1951 in Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk, and entered the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University’s College of Commerce in 1970. He was expelled in 1974 due to his involvement in the Mincheonghakryeon incident during his student activism and later devoted himself to labor movements as the chairman of the Hanil Doruko Metal Workers' Union under the National Metal Workers' Union.
He then transitioned into politics, joining the New Korea Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) in 1996. He was consecutively elected as a member of the National Assembly for the 15th, 16th, and 17th terms and became governor of Gyeonggi Province in the 2006 local elections. He was re-elected in 2010 but suffered damage from the 2011 Namyangju Fire Station phone incident. At that time, instead of stating his purpose to the fire station official, he repeatedly emphasized his identity by saying, "Governor Kim Moon-soo." He also ran in the 2012 18th presidential election, entering the Saenuri Party primary, but failed after losing to candidate Park Geun-hye.
Chairman Kim has also been at the center of controversy for his far-right actions. He once targeted then-President Moon Jae-in, calling him "deserving of a firing squad," and referred to the Democratic Party of Korea as "pro-North Korean Kim Il-sungists who deny the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea."
The government is expected to actively promote various labor reform agendas, including improving the dual structure of the labor market, following Chairman Kim’s appointment. The Economic, Social and Labor Council, a social dialogue body directly under the president, serves as a tripartite social dialogue organization resolving various social conflicts and acts as an advisory body to the president.
However, some conflicts are anticipated due to strong opposition from groups like the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). Immediately after the appointment, the KCTU criticized in a statement, saying, "Appointing Kim Moon-soo, who has caused problems with his colorism and union-hating views and remarks, to the Economic, Social and Labor Council and its chairmanship is too obvious in its intent," and questioned, "Whether the council can function even formally is doubtful."
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