Kim Young-joo (; born 27 July 1955) is a South Korean politician and former basketball player previously served as President

Moon Jae-in Moon Jae-in (, ; born January 24, 1953) is a South Korean politician and former lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea from 2017 to 2022. Before his presidency, he served as the senior secretary for civil affairs and the Chief ...

's first Minister of Employment and Labor from 2017 to 2018. She is the first woman to lead the Labour Ministry since its foundation in 1981 and its preceding agency in 1948. She was a basketball player for Seoul Trust Bank (now absorbed into

Hana Bank Hana Bank (), known from its initial establishment in 1971 to 1991 as Korea Investment Finance Corporation (), is one of South Korea's largest banks. It merged with Seoul Bank (est. 1959) in 2002, then with Korea Exchange Bank (est. 1967) in 201 ...

). She then worked at the Bank where she reportedly faced gender discrimination which led her to join its trade union. She later joined its leadership board and eventually became the deputy chair of the Korea Financial Industry Union and the first woman to assume this post. In 1999 she first entered politics when she was recruited by

Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung (, ; 6 January 192418 August 2009) was a South Korean politician, activist and statesman who served as the eighth president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. Kim entered politics as a member of the new wing of the Democratic Pa ...

. She has consistently took senior roles in her party and its succeeding parties such as its secretary-general and one of elected members of its Supreme Council.

Minister of Employment and Labor (2017–2018)

She was nominated and appointed as President

's first Minister of Employment and Labor. She was replaced after facing opposition parties and the media's strong critics of the "decrease in weekly working hours and increase in minimum wage" policy, which she was responsible for as labour minister and was one of the main socio-economic campaign promises of Moon, throughout her time as Minister. Kim completed her tertiary education in her 40s - an undergraduate degree in Korean language and literature from

Korea National Open University Korea National Open University (KNOU, ) is a national university of South Korea. KNOU is South Korea’s leading institution for open education, providing accessible and flexible higher education to over 94,000 students and the largest educat ...

and a master's degree in economics from

Sogang University Sogang University (SU; ) is a private Jesuit research university in Mapo, Seoul, South Korea. Sogang University was established on April 18, 1960 by the Society of Jesus, with the school being the oldest and only Jesuit institution of higher e ...

Resignation of the DPK to join the PPP

Kim Young-joo resigned from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to join the People's Power Party (PPP); on February 19, 2024; a few months before the legislatives elections in South Korea; bringing the vice-presidency of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

to 2 members of the same party instead of one for each.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Young-joo Living people Korea University alumni Korea National Open University alumni Sogang University alumni Politicians from Seoul 1955 births Women government ministers of South Korea Members of the National Assembly (South Korea) Uri Party politicians Democratic Party of Korea politicians Labor ministers of South Korea South Korean trade union leaders Deputy speakers of the National Assembly (South Korea) Women members of the National Assembly (South Korea) South Korean sportsperson-politicians