Kwon Young-ghil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kwon Young-ghil
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권영길
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| Chairman of the Democratic Labor Party | |
| In office 30 January 2000 – 12 July 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Party Established |
| Succeeded by | Kim Hae-kyung |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 30 May 2004 – 29 May 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Lee Ju-yeong |
| Succeeded by | Kang Ki-youn |
| Constituency | Seongsan District (Changwon) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 November 1941 Yamaguchi Prefecture, Empire of Japan |
| Political party | Justice Party |
| Other political affiliations |
People's Victory 21 (1997–2000) Democratic Labor Party (2000–11) Unified Progressive Party (2011–12) |
| Spouse | Kang Jie-yeun |
| Alma mater | Seoul National University |
| Religion | Roman Catholic(Christian Name : Charles) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
권영길
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| Hanja |
權永吉
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| Revised Romanization | Gweon Yeonggil |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kwŏn Yŏnggil |
Kwon Young-ghil (Hangul: 권영길; born 5 November 1941) is an important South Korean figure. He has been a journalist, a leader for workers' rights, and a politician. He helped start two political parties: People's Victory 21 and the Democratic Labour Party.
Contents
About Kwon Young-ghil
Early Life and Journalism
Kwon Young-ghil was born in Japan. Later, his family moved back to Korea. His father, Kwon Wu-hyun, was involved in groups that supported Korean independence.
In his early career, Kwon worked as a journalist. He wrote for newspapers like Daehan Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun. From 1980 to 1987, he was a correspondent for Seoul Shinmun in Paris, France. This means he reported news from Paris.
A Leader for Workers
Kwon studied sericulture at Seoul National University. Sericulture is the practice of raising silkworms to produce silk. He earned his degree in 1969.
Before becoming a politician, Kwon was a strong leader for workers. He led several important groups that supported workers' rights. These included the Korean Federation of Press Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). A trade union is a group of workers who join together to protect their rights and improve their working conditions. He was the Chairman of the KCTU in 1996 and 1997.
His Political Journey
Kwon Young-ghil was a founding member of the People's Victory 21 party. He also helped create the Democratic Labour Party. He became the head of the Democratic Labour Party from 2000 to 2004.
He was elected as a member of the National Assembly. This is like being a member of parliament or congress in other countries. He served two terms, from 2004 to 2012.
Kwon ran for president of South Korea twice. He was the Democratic Labour Party's candidate in the 2002 and 2007 elections. After 2012, he decided to step back from frontline politics.
Continuing His Work
Since 2013, Kwon has been the president of a group called "Kwon Young-gil and a Better Livelihood." This group is a "think-tank." A think-tank is an organization that does research and gives advice on public issues. This group works to support different progressive causes.
Kwon still encourages people to get involved in politics. For example, he asked people to vote for the Justice Party in the 2016 election. He also supported Sim Sang-jung when she ran for president in 2017. Kwon Young-ghil is a Roman Catholic.
See also
- Democratic Labor Party (South Korea)
- Politics of South Korea
