Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh
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| Ухнаагийн Хүрэлсүx | |
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Khurelsukh in 2024
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| 6th President of Mongolia | |
| Assumed office 25 June 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene |
| Preceded by | Khaltmaagiin Battulga |
| 31st Prime Minister of Mongolia | |
| In office 4 October 2017 – 27 January 2021 |
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| President | Khaltmaagiin Battulga |
| Deputy | Ölziisaikhany Enkhtüvshin Yangugiin Sodbaatar |
| Preceded by | Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat |
| Succeeded by | Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia | |
| In office 23 July 2016 – 4 October 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat |
| Preceded by | Tserendashiin Oyunbaatar |
| Succeeded by | Ölziisaikhany Enkhtüvshin |
| In office 10 December 2014 – 6 August 2015 |
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| Prime Minister | Chimediin Saikhanbileg |
| Preceded by | Dendev Terbishdagva |
| Succeeded by | Tserendashiin Oyunbaatar |
| Chairman of the Mongolian People's Party | |
| In office 21 November 2017 – 25 June 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Miyeegombyn Enkhbold |
| Succeeded by | Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene |
| Member of State Great Khural | |
| In office 2000–2004 |
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| Constituency | Khentii Province |
| In office 2004–2008 |
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| Constituency | Khentii Province |
| In office 2012–2012 |
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| Constituency | Proportional representation |
| In office 2020–2021 |
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| Constituency | Khentii Province |
| Minister for Emergency Situations | |
| In office 2004–2006 |
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| President | Natsagiin Bagabandi Nambaryn Enkhbayar |
| Prime Minister | Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj |
| Minister of Professional Inspection | |
| In office 2006–2008 |
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| President | Nambaryn Enkhbayar |
| Prime Minister | Miyeegombyn Enkhbold Sanjiin Bayar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 June 1968 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian People's Republic |
| Political party | Mongolian People's Party |
| Spouse | Luvsandorjiin Bolortsetseg |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Alma mater | Defense University of Mongolia National University of Mongolia |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Mongolian People's Republic |
| Branch/service |  Mongolian People's Army |
| Years of service | 1985-1990 |
| Rank |  Colonel |
Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh (Mongolian: Ухнаагийн Хүрэлсүх; born 14 June 1968) is a Mongolian politician. He is the 6th and current President of Mongolia. He started his term on 25 June 2021 after winning the 2021 Mongolian presidential election.
Before becoming president, he was the Prime Minister of Mongolia from October 2017 to January 2021. He was also elected to the Parliament of Mongolia four times. These times were in 2000, 2004, 2012, and 2020.
Khürelsükh also served as Minister for Emergency Situations from 2004 to 2006. He was Minister for Professional Inspection from 2006 to 2008. He also worked as Deputy Prime Minister twice between 2014 and 2017. From 2008 to 2012, he was the Secretary-General of the Mongolian People's Party. He then became its chairman from 2017 to 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Khürelsükh was born on 14 June 1968 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. His father was a driver from Khentii Province. This is why Khürelsükh chose Khentii as his election area later on.
His parents met in Govi-Altai Province while his father was digging wells. They later moved to Ulaanbaatar, where Khürelsükh was born. When he was born, his family named him Khürelsükh, which means 'bronze axe'. This was because his father and older sister found a small bronze axe near a hot spring.
Khürelsükh has an older brother, an older sister, and two younger brothers. Most of his siblings also work as drivers.
Education and Military Service
Khürelsükh finished Secondary School No. 2 in 1985. He then went to the University of Defense and graduated in 1989. He studied political science there.
He also studied public administration and law. He graduated from the Institute of State Administration and Management Development in 1994. He finished his law studies at the National University of Mongolia in 2000.
From 1989 to 1990, Khürelsükh served in the Mongolian People's Army. He was a political deputy in the 1152nd Unit. He was the first Mongolian military officer to leave the army to keep his political party membership. This happened in 1990 when the government wanted to separate party membership from public jobs. He holds the rank of colonel.
Political Journey
Early Steps in Politics (1989–2000)
After his military service, Khürelsükh worked as a political officer for the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party. He was one of the youngest officers in the party's main committee.
In 1994, he became an adviser for the party's group in parliament. He later became the general director of the party's Youth Development Center. In 1997, he started the Mongolian Democratic Socialist Youth Federation (MDSYF). This group is now called the Social Democracy Mongolian Youth Union. He led this group until 2005.
In the 1990s, Khürelsükh became well-known for organizing protests and hunger strikes. These actions were against the political situations at that time.
Rising Through the Ranks (2000–2016)
In 2000, Khürelsükh was elected as a member of parliament. He served two terms in the State Great Khural. During his second term, he became Minister of Emergency Situations (2004-2006). He also served as Minister of Professional Inspection (2006-2008).
In 2007, he founded the Left-wing Association of Mongolia. This is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that supports the Mongolian People's Party. Many of its first members were from the MDSYF youth group.
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Within his party, Khürelsükh was also very successful. He was elected to the Governing Board of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party in 2000. He served on this board for eight years. In 2008, he was chosen as the Secretary-General of the Party. He held this position until 2012.
In 2012, Khürelsükh was elected as a Member of Parliament for the third time. In 2013, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia. He served in this role for four years. In 2017, he was recognized as a United Nations Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Prime Minister of Mongolia (2017–2021)
In October 2017, Mongolia's parliament approved Khürelsükh as the 30th Prime Minister. He took over from Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat. The previous prime minister was removed from office due to claims of corruption.
When he was confirmed, Khürelsükh promised that his government would bring back justice. He also warned that he and his cabinet members would not accept illegal actions or pressure.
One of his biggest projects as Prime Minister was building an oil refinery plant. This plant is in the Dornogobi province of Mongolia. It was built with help from India. The refinery can process 1.5 million tons of crude oil each year. This is enough to meet Mongolia's own needs.
He also helped improve Mongolia's relationships with other countries. In April 2018, he visited China. During this visit, he signed 11 agreements worth $450 million. These included a deal for economic and technology cooperation.
His visit to the United States in September 2018 strengthened ties between the two countries. Mongolia and the US became strategic partners a year later. During this visit, Khürelsükh met with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. They signed a $350 million agreement for water projects in Mongolia.
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Khürelsükh also worked as a go-between for Japan and North Korea. In December 2018, he visited Japan and met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. They talked about working closely together. They also discussed the New Ulaanbaatar International Airport.
He also improved relations with South Korea. South Korea was one of his first official trips abroad as Prime Minister. In January 2018, he spent three days there with seven cabinet ministers. He met with the President of South Korea Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon.
Khürelsükh represented Mongolia at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. He spoke about important issues like inequality, human rights, and climate change.
In 2018, Khürelsükh survived a vote to remove him from office. This happened after he asked several high-ranking officials to step down. He said they were not doing their jobs well.
Khürelsükh led his Mongolian People's Party to a big win in the parliamentary election on 24 June 2020. During his campaign, he said Mongolia would become energy independent from Russia. He and his party are known for reducing air pollution in the capital city. They also supported changes to the Constitution. They are also credited with keeping the country relatively safe from the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, he resigned from his position on 21 January 2021. This was because of public protests about problems with public health services. Khürelsükh continued to serve as a member of parliament for Khentii province.
Party Leadership Roles
Khürelsükh began his political career in 1991. He worked as a political officer for the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP). From 1994 to 1996, he was an adviser for the MPRP's group in the Parliament of Mongolia.
He played a key role in changing the youth organization of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party. He created the Mongolian Democratic Socialist Youth Federation. He was its president twice, from 1997 to 1999 and from 2000 to 2005.
In 2000, he was elected to the Governing Board of the MPRP. This board makes important decisions for the party. In 2008, Khürelsükh was elected as Secretary General of the MPRP.
In 2010, Khürelsükh helped change the party's name back to the Mongolian People's Party. The name had been changed to "Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party" in 1924. This was done to show support for socialist parties at that time.
2021 Presidential Campaign
On May 2, the Mongolian People's Party chose Khürelsükh as their candidate for the presidential election. The election was held on June 9. Khürelsükh was chosen by everyone at the party's online meeting in Ulaanbaatar.
On May 24, Khürelsükh officially started his campaign from his home province of Khentii. Before the election, polls showed that Khürelsükh was the most popular politician in the country.
Presidency (2021–present)
Inauguration and First Actions
Khürelsükh became president on 25 June 2021. The ceremony took place in the Great Hall of the State Palace. Before the ceremony, Khürelsükh and his wife visited the Statue of Chinggis Khaan to show their respect.
On 4 July 2021, he attended the first flight at the opening of the Chinggis Khaan International Airport.
On June 25, Khürelsükh appointed Y. Sodbaatar as the Chief of Staff for the Office of the President. He also appointed Jadambyn Enkhbayar as the Secretary of the National Security Council. On June 28, he appointed several advisors for different areas like legal policy, economic policy, and foreign policy.
International Engagements
In September 2022, Khürelsükh went to Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He attended a meeting of leaders from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. He also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in a special meeting.
Key Government and Party Roles
- President of Mongolia (2021–present)
- Commander-in-Chief of the Mongolian Armed Forces (2021–present)
- Prime Minister of Mongolia (2017–2021)
- Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia (2016–2017)
- Secretary-General of the Mongolian People's Party (2008–2012)
- Minister for Professional Inspection (2006–2008)
- Minister for Emergency Situations (2004–2006)
- Head of the Social Democracy Mongolian Youth Union (1997–2004)
Personal Life and Hobbies
Khürelsükh is married and has two daughters. His wife works as a kindergarten teacher. His oldest daughter teaches human rights at a university.
He enjoys playing guitar with his band called 'Pals'. He formed this band when he turned 50. He is also a big fan of motorbikes. He even started the Harley-Davidson fan club in Mongolia.
See also
- Cabinet of Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh
