Kim Moon-soo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kim Moon-soo
김문수
Kim in 2024
Minister of Employment and Labour
In office August 30, 2024 – April 8, 2025
President	Yoon Suk Yeol Han Duck-soo (acting) Choi Sang-mok (acting)
Prime Minister	Han Duck-soo Choi Sang-mok (acting)
Preceded by	Lee Jung-sik
Succeeded by	Kim Young-hoon
Governor of Gyeonggi Province
In office July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2014
Preceded by	Sohn Hak-kyu
Succeeded by	Nam Kyung-pil
Member of the National Assembly
In office May 30, 1996 – April 24, 2006
Preceded by	Park Kyu-sik
Succeeded by	Cha Myong-jin
Constituency	Sosa (Bucheon)
Personal details
Born	(1951-08-27) August 27, 1951 (age 74) Yeongcheon, South Korea
Political party	People Power
Other political affiliations	Liberty Unification Party (2020) Liberty Korea (until 2020) New Korea Party (1995–1997) Democratic Liberal Party (1994–1995) Popular Party (1990–1992)
Spouse	Seol Nan-young ​ (m. 1981)​
Education	Seoul National University (BA)
Signature
Korean name
Hangul	김문수
Hanja	金文洙
RR	Gim Munsu
MR	Kim Munsu

Kim Moon-soo (Hangul: 김문수; born August 27, 1951) is a South Korean politician. He served as the Minister of Employment and Labor from 2024 to 2025. He was also a candidate for president in the 2025 election. Before becoming a politician, he was known for his work helping workers. He was the governor of Gyeonggi Province from 2006 to 2014.

Kim Moon-soo was born in Yeongcheon, South Korea. He went to Seoul National University. During his university years, he was involved in student groups that wanted changes in the government. Because of this, he faced challenges and was arrested. He later became a strong voice for workers' rights. In 1990, he helped start a political party. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1996 and served for many years. He then became the governor of Gyeonggi Province. In 2025, he ran for president but did not win the election.

Who is Kim Moon-soo?

Kim Moon-soo was born on August 27, 1951, in Yeongcheon, a city in North Gyeongsang Province. He was the sixth of seven children in his family. After finishing elementary school in Yeongcheon, he moved to Daegu by himself. There, he attended Gyeongbuk Middle School and Gyeongbuk High School. In 1970, he started studying Business Administration at Seoul National University. However, he faced difficulties and was expelled in 1974 because of his involvement in student groups. After this, he worked secretly in factories in Guro District, Seoul, to understand and help workers. He eventually returned to Seoul National University and graduated in 1994, 25 years after he first started.

Standing Up for Workers

In 1974, Kim Moon-soo worked in a fabric factory in Cheonggyecheon. He learned a lot about working conditions. By 1977, he earned special licenses for managing environmental and safety issues. In 1978, he was chosen as a leader for a metal workers' union. In 1980, he was arrested for his activism against the government. He faced a difficult time, but his case was later put on hold, and he could return to his union work. In 1981, Kim married Seol Nan-young. She was also a former worker activist who helped him during a challenging period. In 1985, Kim worked with the Jeon Tae-il Memorial Society, which honored a famous worker's rights activist. In 1986, he was arrested again for participating in a protest in Incheon. This protest was about changing the election system. He was imprisoned for two and a half years for his role in these activities.

Starting a Political Career

In 1990, Kim Moon-soo helped create the Popular Party. He became the head of its Labor Relations Committee. He ran in the 1992 legislative election but was not elected that time. In 1994, he joined the Democratic Liberal Party, which later became the New Korea Party. In 1996, he ran as a candidate for the New Korea Party in the legislative election and was successfully elected.

Serving in the National Assembly

After being elected, Kim Moon-soo served as a member of the National Assembly. He focused on important issues like workers' rights, protecting the environment, improving transportation in the Seoul area, and supporting childcare. He was re-elected two more times, serving three terms in total. He also held a leadership role as the deputy floor leader for the Grand National Party. During his time in the National Assembly, he received awards for his work. These included the Green Politician Award in 1996 and an award for his legislative activities to help children in 1999.

Leading Gyeonggi Province

Governorship of Kim Moon-soo
July 1, 2006 – July 1, 2014
Governor	Kim Moon-soo
Party	Grand National
Election	2006 2010
← Sohn Hak-kyu • Nam Kyung-pil →

In 2006, Kim Moon-soo left the National Assembly to run for a local government position. He was elected as the Governor of Gyeonggi Province. He started his term in July 2006 and served until 2014. Gyeonggi Province is a very important area in South Korea. In 2012, while still governor, Kim Moon-soo announced he wanted to run for president. He believed that the presidential nomination should be open to everyone.

Public Service and Later Activities

After his time as governor, Kim Moon-soo continued to be active in politics. In 2018, he ran for mayor of Seoul but came in second place. He also participated in protests about government issues in 2019. In 2020, he started a new political group called the Liberty Unification Party. He aimed to bring together different conservative voices for the general election. In 2021, he worked with other political figures to ask for unity among opposition candidates for a special election in Seoul.

Important Roles and Decisions

In September 2022, President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Kim Moon-soo as the chairman of the Economic, Social, and Labor Council. This council helps discuss important issues about the economy, society, and workers. In August 2024, he became the Minister of Employment and Labor. This appointment happened despite some groups disagreeing with it. During a major government decision in 2024 that caused public concern, Kim Moon-soo expressed his disagreement with the decision. However, he did not join others in making a public apology. He also opposed the process to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, which is called impeachment. Impeachment is when a legislative body formally charges a public official with misconduct.

Running for President in 2025

Kim Moon-soo announced his plan to run for president on April 9, 2025. This was after the decision to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office was confirmed. Kim Moon-soo believed he was the right person to challenge the opposing candidate, Lee Jae Myung. On May 3, he was officially chosen as the People Power Party's candidate for president. He won the final round of primary elections with 56.5 percent of the votes, beating another strong candidate, Han Dong-hoon. In his speech, Kim Moon-soo said he would work with anyone to prevent the opposing party from gaining too much power.

However, on May 6, Kim Moon-soo paused his campaign. He felt that his party was not supporting him enough. He then talked with an independent candidate, Han Duck-soo, about possibly joining forces. These talks did not lead to a clear agreement. Kim Moon-soo claimed that his party tried to change the candidate without talking to him first. On May 10, the People Power Party announced they would cancel Kim's nomination and choose Han Duck-soo instead. Kim Moon-soo was very upset, saying that "party democracy is dead" and that he would take legal action. Later that same day, the party members voted against replacing Kim. This meant Kim Moon-soo was reinstated as the presidential candidate.

During his campaign, Kim Moon-soo formally apologized for the government's earlier major decision that caused public concern. He said it was a wrong choice that led to nationwide problems. He also promised to move parts of the National Assembly, reduce the number of lawmakers, and create a second presidential office in Sejong City. On May 17, 2025, President Yoon Suk Yeol supported Kim Moon-soo's campaign. However, Kim Moon-soo lost the election to the Democratic Party candidate, Lee Jae Myung.

Election Results

General elections

Local elections

Presidential elections

See also

In Spanish: Kim Moon-soo (político) para niños