Former Minister of Commerce and Industry (now Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy) Geum Jin-ho, known as one of the '6th Republic power figures' and brother-in-law of former President Roh Tae-woo, passed away on the 21st at the age of 92.
Minister Geum was born in 1932 in Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk, and graduated from Daeryun High School in Daegu and Seoul National University Law School.
He served as an army officer from 1951 to 1956 during the Korean War and retired as a captain before beginning his public service career in the early 1960s.
He worked as an economic bureaucrat, holding key positions such as Director of the Small and Medium Business Bureau, Director of the Textile Industry Bureau, Director of the Industrial Planning Bureau, Director of the Light Industry Bureau at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Director of the Coal Bureau at the Ministry of Power Resources.
He married Kim Jeong-sook, the younger sister of Kim Ok-sook, wife of former President Roh Tae-woo. As Roh’s brother-in-law, he was considered a highly influential figure in state affairs during the 6th Republic era, alongside former Chief Political Secretary Park Cheol-eon and former lawmaker Kim Bok-dong.
He entered politics in the 14th general election in 1992 as a candidate of the Democratic Liberal Party. It is known that he played a significant behind-the-scenes role in the 14th presidential election that year, in which then-President Roh supported candidate Kim Young-sam.
Survivors include Geum Han-tae, CEO of Telcoware, among others.
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