Kim Young-joo (politician)
Kim Young-joo is a South Korean basketball-player-turned politician previously served as President Moon Jae-in's first Minister of Employment and Labor. She is the first woman to lead the Ministry since its creation in 1981 and its preceding agency in 1948.
She was a basketball player for Seoul Trust Bank. She then worked at the Bank where she faced gender discrimination which led her to join its trade union. She later joined its leadership board and eventually became the deputy chair of Korea Financial Industry Union and the first woman to assume this post.
In 1999 she first entered into politics when she was recruited by Kim Dae-jung. She has consistently took senior roles in her party and its preceding parties such as its secretary-general and one of elected members of its Supreme Council.
She was nominated and appointed as President Moon Jae-in's first Minister of Employment and Labor. She was replaced after facing opposition parties and media's strong critics of "decrease in weekly working hours and increase in minimum wage" policy, which she was responsible of as labour minister and was one of 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 and a master's degree in economics from Sogang University.Electoral history
