[Politics X-File] The Youngest Lawmaker Ever, 27-Year-Old Younger Than Ryu Ho-jeong

⑪ Ryu Hojung, 27 years old, youngest member of the 21st National Assembly
The youngest member of the 20th National Assembly was 29-year-old Kim Sumin
The youngest member ever was 26 years and 5 months old Kim Youngsam

Editor's Note‘Political X-File’ is a series that delivers ‘unprecedented stories’ recorded in the election results and incidents of Korean politics.

Who is the youngest member of the National Assembly in the history of Korean politics? Theoretically, one can become a member of the National Assembly from the age of 18.

Article 16, Paragraph 3 of the Public Official Election Act states that "citizens aged 18 or older have the right to be elected as members of the National Assembly." This means that, in some cases, even high school students could become members of the National Assembly, but in reality, there has never been a teenager serving as a member.

Most members of the National Assembly are in their 50s or 60s. There are not many members in their 30s or 40s either. This has been the case not only for the 21st National Assembly as of 2023 but also for most previous assemblies. The tendency for male members in their 50s to constitute the majority in terms of age and gender has continued.

Ryu Ho-jeong, Justice Party member./Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

However, in the 21st general election held on April 15, 2020, a member in their 20s was elected. The protagonist is Ryu Ho-jeong of the Justice Party, born on August 9, 1992. She confidently entered the National Assembly plenary hall as a representative of the people among members from her parents' generation.

On the day of the general election, Ryu became a member of the National Assembly at the young age of 27 years and 8 months. So, was Ryu the youngest member ever? Considering the increasing political participation of the younger generation, it is plausible to assume that the youngest member among recent members has emerged.

In fact, another member in their 20s was elected during the 20th National Assembly. The protagonist was former member Kim Soo-min, elected through proportional representation from the People’s Party. Kim Soo-min was born on December 25, 1986.

At the time of the 20th general election on April 13, 2016, politician Kim Soo-min was 29 years and 5 months old. The youngest member record set by Kim was broken by Ryu.

Bareunmirae Party lawmaker Kim Soo-min is questioning a witness during the 2018 National Assembly audit held on October 23 at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee regarding the Korea Sports Council, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, Korea Sports Industry Development Institute, Taekwondo Promotion Foundation, and Korea Paralympic Committee.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

In fact, Ryu’s age when entering the National Assembly is among the youngest in Korean political history.

Interestingly, about 70 years ago, there was a politician who became a member of the National Assembly at an even younger age than Ryu. Who was the member in their 20s who entered the National Assembly in the 1950s, when the scars of the Korean War still remained? The protagonist is former President Kim Young-sam.

Kim Young-sam was born in December 1927. He ran as a member of the Liberal Party in the 3rd general election on May 20, 1954, and received his first member badge. At that time, he was 26 years and 5 months old. This record has remained unbroken since the 1950s.

Considering the special circumstances right after the Korean War, becoming a member of the National Assembly at 26 years and 5 months was a remarkable event.

Who will be the youngest member of the National Assembly in the 22nd general election next April? Since former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok opened the era of party leaders in their 30s, the political participation of young politicians has been increasing.

President Kim Young-sam waves to the attendees before leaving the venue after the inauguration ceremony.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

This is why there is once again a prospect of a member in their 20s being elected. However, several conditions must be met for a member in their 20s to emerge. The most likely scenario is that major parties strategically place young candidates at the top of the proportional representation list.

Just as Ryu was placed first on the Justice Party’s proportional representation list, if a candidate is placed in a position where election is almost guaranteed, the probability of being elected skyrockets. However, the top spots on the proportional representation list are fiercely competitive, which is a variable.

Another way is to receive a nomination for a constituency and win, but it is difficult to get nominated, and even if nominated, winning against prominent political figures in the main election is not easy.

Major parties might nominate young politicians in their so-called political strongholds, but if a rookie politician is parachuted in as a nominee, it could cause local opposition and vote splitting due to independent candidacies by existing local committee heads, which could weaken party strength.

Young politicians are relatively disadvantaged in terms of experience, organizational power, and funding. Who will overcome these disadvantages and earn the member badge? The identity of the youngest member in the 22nd general election is expected to be an interesting point to watch.