Kim Moon-soo
Encyclopedia
Kim Moon-Soo is a Korean politician and the 32nd Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Korea. A former labor activist, he began his career in politics when he participated in the foundation of the People’s Party in 1990. He was elected to the 15th National Assembly
at Sosa-gu, Bucheon
, as a candidate for the Grand National Party
. After continuing to serve as a member of the assembly in the 16th and the 17th National Assemblies, he became the 4th Governor of Gyeonggi Province to be elected by popular vote in 2006.
Elementary School in Gyeongsangbuk-do
, he moved to Daegu Metropolitan City without his family, where he attended Gyeongbuk Middle School and Gyeongbuk High School.
, but was expelled in 1971 for participating in the October 15 nation-wide student protests against government corruption. From 1971 to 1982, he was involved in leading various agricultural village movements in his hometown of Yeongcheon
, Gyeongbuk, such as the 4H Campaign and night schools. In 1974, he was expelled from university again due to his involvement in the National Democratic Youth and Students Union case. He reentered the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University
in 1994, and two years later, finally graduated from university, 25 years after his initial acceptance in 1970.
, acquiring national engineer’s licenses for environmental management and safety management in 1977. He was elected as the Dorco Labor Union Leader of the Federation of Korean Metal Workers Trade Unions in 1978. He was arrested and tortured by the dictatorial government in 1980, but his indictment was suspended so that he could serve for Dorco again. He served as the secretary of the Jun Tae-Il Memorial Society in 1985, and was arrested again for participating in the Incheon May 3 Protest for Constitutional Amendment for Direct Election System in 1986 when he served as the a member of the direction committee for Seoul Confederation of Labor Movement. He was tortured and was imprisoned for two and a half years.
)
Member of Environment and Labor Committee, Executive Committee, Budget and Account Committee, and Special Committee on
Economic Reform and Unemployment
Deputy floor leader, deputy secretary general, and chair of the Planning Committee of the Grand National Party,
Selected as No. 1 among the leaders of the 4th local governments elected by popular vote in the category of fulfillment of public pledges by Korea Manifesto (2006~2007)
Selected as No. 1 among the leaders of the 4th local governments elected by popular vote for the category of fulfillment of public pledges by Korea Manifesto (2007~2008)
Selected as the National Assemblyman with the Best Fulfillment of Public Pledges by newsmen accredited to the National Assembly
National Assembly of South Korea
The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea is a 299-member unicameral legislature. The latest general elections were held on April 9, 2008. Single-member constituencies comprise 245 of the National Assembly's seats, while the remaining 54 are allocated by proportional representation...
at Sosa-gu, Bucheon
Bucheon
Bucheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is sandwiched between Incheon and Seoul. Manufacturing operations are located in the city.Bucheon promotes itself as the cultural centre of the Seoul Metropolitan Area...
, as a candidate for the Grand National Party
Grand National Party
The Grand National Party is a conservative political party in South Korea. Its Korean name, Hannara, has a double meaning as "Great National" and "Korean National." The GNP holds a majority of seats in the 18th Assembly, lasting from 2008 to 2012....
. After continuing to serve as a member of the assembly in the 16th and the 17th National Assemblies, he became the 4th Governor of Gyeonggi Province to be elected by popular vote in 2006.
Childhood
Born in 1951, Kim Moon-Soo is the third son in his family, and has three brothers and three sisters. After graduating from YeongcheonYeongcheon
Yeongcheon is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.Yeongcheon is located 350 km southeast of Seoul, in the southeast of North Gyeongsang Province...
Elementary School in Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongsangbuk-do or shortly Gyeongbuk is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea.The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office is...
, he moved to Daegu Metropolitan City without his family, where he attended Gyeongbuk Middle School and Gyeongbuk High School.
College Years
In 1970, Kim Moon-Soo entered the Department of Business Administration, in the College of Business at Seoul National UniversitySeoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
, but was expelled in 1971 for participating in the October 15 nation-wide student protests against government corruption. From 1971 to 1982, he was involved in leading various agricultural village movements in his hometown of Yeongcheon
Yeongcheon
Yeongcheon is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.Yeongcheon is located 350 km southeast of Seoul, in the southeast of North Gyeongsang Province...
, Gyeongbuk, such as the 4H Campaign and night schools. In 1974, he was expelled from university again due to his involvement in the National Democratic Youth and Students Union case. He reentered the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University
Seoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
in 1994, and two years later, finally graduated from university, 25 years after his initial acceptance in 1970.
Labor Movement Days
During the 1970s, Kim Moon-Soo was dedicated to the labor movement. In 1974, he served as the assistant cloth cutter at a fabric plant in CheonggyecheonCheonggyecheon
Cheonggyecheon is an 8.4 km long, modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development required it to be covered by transportation infrastructure...
, acquiring national engineer’s licenses for environmental management and safety management in 1977. He was elected as the Dorco Labor Union Leader of the Federation of Korean Metal Workers Trade Unions in 1978. He was arrested and tortured by the dictatorial government in 1980, but his indictment was suspended so that he could serve for Dorco again. He served as the secretary of the Jun Tae-Il Memorial Society in 1985, and was arrested again for participating in the Incheon May 3 Protest for Constitutional Amendment for Direct Election System in 1986 when he served as the a member of the direction committee for Seoul Confederation of Labor Movement. He was tortured and was imprisoned for two and a half years.
Introduction to Politics
In 1990, Kim Moon-Soo participated in the foundation of the People’s Party, and served as chair of the Labor Relations Committee. That same year, he ran in Korea’s 14th general election as candidate No. 3 for the People’s Party, but was defeated. After joining the Democratic Liberal Party in 1994, he ran for the 15th general election as a candidate for New Korea Party in 1996, and was elected. (Sosa-gu, BucheonBucheon
Bucheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is sandwiched between Incheon and Seoul. Manufacturing operations are located in the city.Bucheon promotes itself as the cultural centre of the Seoul Metropolitan Area...
)
Services at the National Assembly
Following his election, Kim Moon-Soo actively became involved in serving as a member of the legislature, focusing on labor and environmental issues, as well as on transportation in the Seoul metropolitan area and childcare. He also had a high interest in working to eliminate corruption and improve human rights for North Koreans. In 1996, he won the Green Politician Award, and was given the Best National Assemblyman Award from the Environment and Labor Committee by Watching Eyes for Clean Politics in 1998. In 1999, he won the Distinguished Service Medal for his efforts through the legislature to help malnourished children, as well as a medal from the Korea Edu-Care Association. Re-elected to the 16th and the 17th National Assemblies, he served for three consecutive terms as a member of the National Assembly. He served as the deputy floor leader for the Grand National Party, where he continued to be honored for his service with diverse awards, including the Best Politician Award for the New Millennium of the Citizens’ Alliance for a Just Society and Bright Politics in 2000, the Best National Assemblyman Award at the inspection of national administration in 2005, and the No. 1 National Assemblyman Award with the Best Fulfillment of Public Pledges and the No. 1 National Assemblyman Award with the Best Legislature Services presented by newsmen accredited to the National Assembly in 2006. After retiring from the National Assembly in 2006 to run for local government, he was elected Governor of Gyeonggi Province, taking office as the 4th Governor elected by public vote in July 2006.Major Policy Objectives
Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-Soo has led innovations in the administration of Gyeonggi Province. He won the Forbes Korea Excellence Award in 2007, his first year as the Governor, and has strived to improve quality of life for Gyeonggi citizens under the slogan, “Leading Gyeonggi Province,” “Convenient Gyeonggi Province,” “Affluent Gyeonggi Province” and “Attractive Gyeonggi Province.”Fulfillment of Public Pledges after Taking Office
In an evaluation on the fulfillment of public pledges by Korea Manifesto in 2009, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-Soo was selected as the No. 1 politician. (This evaluation recognized the highest level of fulfillment of public pledges in the 2nd year, the best communication with residents and cooperation between the public and private sectors, and the best web-based communication.)Major Policy Plans for 2009
Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-Soo is focused on realizing the potential of the region to grow into an economic hub of Northeast Asia, and improving the global competitiveness of Gyeonggi Province. To this end, he has worked to eliminate unreasonable regulations in the Seoul metropolitan area, built a local public transportation system, expanded the infrastructure to attract foreign investors, and created jobs by attracting more foreign businesses and reinforcing the competitiveness of local small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, he aims to foster new growth engine businesses of the Province by facilitating tourism of the DMZ and agricultural village tours, and by attracting large-scale exhibitions such as the Ceramic Biennale, the International Sky Leisure EXPO and the Korea International Boat Show. Kim Moon-Soo has made diverse efforts to improve quality of life for Gyeonggi residents, including the development of a more convenient mass transportation system, the systematic development of borderlands, the improvement of welfare for seniors and the disabled, childcare support for double-income families, the improvement of educational competitiveness, the fostering of culture and arts, and the renovation of provincial parks.Academic Background
- Graduated from YeongcheonYeongcheonYeongcheon is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.Yeongcheon is located 350 km southeast of Seoul, in the southeast of North Gyeongsang Province...
Elementary School, Gyeongsangbuk-doGyeongsangbuk-doGyeongsangbuk-do or shortly Gyeongbuk is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea.The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office is... - Graduated from Gyeongbuk Middle School
- Graduated from Gyeongbuk High School
- Graduated from College of Business, Seoul National UniversitySeoul National UniversitySeoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
as a major in business administration / Ph. D.
Career Highlights (Source: Cyworld Mini Homepage)
- 1974 Involved in civil activism and the industrial labor movement after being expelled from university for his involvement in the National Democratic Youth and Students Union
- 1978 Elected as Dorco Labor Union Leader of the Federation of Korean Metal Workers Trade Unions
- 1985 Secretary of the Jun Tae-Il Memorial Society
- 1986 Imprisoned for two and a half years for leading the May 3 protest for constitutional amendment for direct election
- 1990 Labor Union Leader of the People’s Party
- 1994 Director of Labor Human Rights Center
- 1996~2004 Member of the 15th and 16th National Assembly
Member of Environment and Labor Committee, Executive Committee, Budget and Account Committee, and Special Committee on
Economic Reform and Unemployment
Deputy floor leader, deputy secretary general, and chair of the Planning Committee of the Grand National Party,
- 2004~2006 Member of the 17th National Assembly
- 2006~present Governor of Gyeonggi Province
Selected as No. 1 among the leaders of the 4th local governments elected by popular vote in the category of fulfillment of public pledges by Korea Manifesto (2006~2007)
Selected as No. 1 among the leaders of the 4th local governments elected by popular vote for the category of fulfillment of public pledges by Korea Manifesto (2007~2008)
Awards and citations
- 2009. 4.16 Selected by Korea Manifesto as the No. 1 among the leaders of the 4th local governments elected by popular vote in the category of fulfillment of public pledge
- 2007. 9. 5 Won the 5th Forbes Korea Excellence Award in the category of Public Innovations (Forbes Korea & Korean Society for Quality Management)
- 2007. 8. 6 Selected by Korea Manifesto as No. 1 among the leaders of the 4th local governments elected by popular vote in the category of fulfillment of public pledges
- 2006. 1. 2 Selected as the National Assemblyman with the Best Services by newsmen accredited to the National Assembly
Selected as the National Assemblyman with the Best Fulfillment of Public Pledges by newsmen accredited to the National Assembly
- 2005. 12. 23 Selected as the National Assemblyman with the Best Services by Marketing Insight
- 2005. 10 Selected as the Best National Assemblyman in the inspection of national administration
- 2004. 6. 24 Won the “Friend of Korean Chinese” Distinguished Service Medal at Seoul Korean-Chinese Children Seoul
- 2003. 10 Selected as the 2003 Best National Assemblyman of the Executive Committee at the inspection of national administration (Dong-A Ilbo/Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice)
- 2002. 10. 25 Selected as the Best National Assemblyman at the inspection of national administration by national inspection NGO monitors
- 2000. 8. 30 Won the Distinguished Service Medal for innovation in educational environments (Bucheondong Middle School)
- 2000. 6. 23 Won the Distinguished Service Medal for the installation of a school cafeteria (Bucheondong Girls’ Middle School)
- 2000. 5. 26 Won the Best National Assemblyman Award for the 15th National Assembly (Citizens Alliance for Bright Politics)
- 2000. 3. 10 Won the Best Labor-Related Service Award for the 15th National Assembly (Federation of Korea Trade Unions)
- 2000. 2 Won the Best Legislature Service Award of the Environment and Labor Committee (Watching Eyes for Clean Politics)
- 2000. 2 Won the Distinguished Service Medal for Legislature Services Related to the System to Manage Total Taxi Fare Amounts (Korean Transport Workers’ Union) [1993], selected as Environmental Leader of the 20th Century (Water Resources Environmental News)
- 1999. 9. 4 Selected as one of the Best 3 National Assemblymen at the fact-finding hearing for the strike of the Korea Mint Corporation (Dong-A Ilbo)
- 1999. 9. 3 Selected as the Best National Assemblyman at the fact-finding hearing for the strike of the Korea Mint Corporation (Citizens’ Union for Political Reform Movement)
- 1999. 10 Won the Distinguished Service Medal for budget support for welfare facilities (Korea Edu-Care Association)
- 1999. 9. 29 Won the Distinguished Service Medal for legislature services to help malnourished children (Leftovers Love Sharing Community)
- 1999. 9. 28 Selected as the No. 2 National Assemblyman in the 1999 comprehensive service evaluation (Ranked in the Top 20 for three consecutive years from 1997, No. 1 selected by co-assemblymen) (JoongAng Daily)
- 1999. 7. 10 Selected as the Best National Assemblyman of the Environment and Labor Committee (Watching Eyes for Clean Politics)
- 1999. 5. 4 Won the Distinguished Service Medal for legislature services for malnourished children (South and North Koreans Union to Help Malnourished Children)
- 1998. 10 Selected as one of the Top 10 National Assemblymen at the inspection of national administration (Newsmaker)
- 1998. 10 Selected as the Best National Assemblyman at the inspection of national administration (Citizen Corps for Parliamentary Development)
- 1998. 6. 30 Won the Best Legislature Service Award (Watching Eyes for Clean Politics)
- 1997 Selected as the Best National Assemblyman at the Hanbo-related Hearing
- 1996. 12. 10 Won the Green Politician Award (Korean Federation for Environmental Movement)
- 1996. 12. 3 Selected as one of the Top Five National Assemblymen at the 96 Budget and Account Committee (JoongAng Daily)
- 1996. 10. 21 Selected as the Best National Assemblyman at the inspection on national administration of the Environment and Labor Committee (Kyunghyang ShinmunKyunghyang ShinmunThe Kyunghyang Shinmun or Kyonghyang Sinmun is a major daily newspaper published in South Korea. It is based in Seoul. The name literally means Urbi et Orbi Daily News.-History:...
) - 1996.10.20 Selected as the Best National Assemblyman at the inspection of national administration of the Environment and Labor Committee (MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
) - 1996. 7. 31 Selected as the Best National Assemblyman of the Environment and Labor Committee by public officers of the central government agencies (Munhwa IlboMunhwa Ilbo-History:Munhwa Ilbo was formerly owned by the Hyundai chaebol; however, Hyundai relinquished their control of the newspaper after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, at the same time as their competitor Hanwha gave up its own daily, the Kyunghyang Shinmun...
)
Publications
- Statements of Appeal of Ten Prisoners of Conscience in the 1980s (1987)
- Report on Workers’ Rights in 1992 (1993)
- Innovation Tasks 20 (co-author, 1994)
- A Necktie Still Does Not Suit Me (1995)
- National Assemblymen Are the Servants of the Citizens
- Mr. President, Why Don’t You Take the Subway of Hell? (1996)
- My Way, My Dream (2006)
- I Dream of Freedom in Gyeonggi Province, a Prison of Regulations (2008)