US EditionSouth Korea’s Next Labour Minister Was Driving a Train when He Got the Call
9 Articles
9 Articles
In South Korea, a train driver and trade unionist is to become Minister of Labour. He wants to shorten working hours.
Migrant rights activists cheer president's pick for new labor minister
Migrant rights activists expressed cautious optimism following President Lee Jae Myung’s nomination of Kim Young-hoon as the next labor minister. Kim, a former train operator and head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions from 2010 to 2012, would be the first former leader of the influential labor organization to hold the post. Advocates for foreign workers told The Korea Times on Wednesday that Kim’s tenure as KCTU chairman reflects a str…
Train driver appointed South Korea’s Labour Minister mid-shift
It may sound hard to believe that a train driver could suddenly be appointed as a government minister but that’s exactly what happened in South Korea. In a unique and surprising incident, a train driver in South Korea was suddenly appointed as the Minister of Labour and Employment. In fact, 57-year-old Kim Yong-bon was appointed to the ministerial position while he was driving a train between Busan and Gimcheon. On June 23, South Korea’s newly e…
Kim Young-hoon, train driver and ex-union leader, nominated as South Korea’s next labour minister
In a historic move underscoring the shifting landscape of labour representation in South Korean politics, newly elected President Lee Jae-myung nominated train driver Kim Young-hoon as the next Minister of Employment and Labour on June 24, 2025. Kim, 57, who learned of his nomination only after completing his train shift, is set to become the first blue-collar worker to assume the role since the ministry’s establishment in 2010. According to Yon…
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- 40% of the sources lean Left, 40% of the sources are Center
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