Former Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Moon-soo appointed as Yoon's labor minister

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday appointed former Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Moon-soo as his new labor minister, the presidential office announced.

Kim Moon-soo, the new labor minister, speaks during a confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Monday. [NEWS1]

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday appointed former Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Moon-soo as his new labor minister, the presidential office announced.

Kim’s appointment comes about a month after Yoon named him to head the Ministry of Employment and Labor on July 31. At the time of his nomination, Kim was serving as the chair of the presidential Economic, Social and Labor Council.

The new labor minister was a labor rights activist in the 1970s and 1980s.

Kim later served as a three-term lawmaker of the precursor to the conservative People Power Party. He became Gyeonggi governor in 2006, serving two terms.

Despite his roots in the labor movement, Kim has since received strong criticism from the labor sector for his extreme, right-wing remarks made as a politician.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]