Kim Chong-in

Kim Chong-in
김종인
Interim Chairman of the Minjoo Party of Korea
In office 27 January 2016 – 27 August 2016
Preceded by	Moon Jae-in
Succeeded by	Choo Mi-ae
Member of the National Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 May 2016
Constituency	Proportional representation
In office 30 May 2004 – 29 May 2008
In office 30 May 1992 – 10 September 1994
In office 11 April 1981 – 29 May 1988
Constituency	Proportional representation
Minister of Health and Social Affairs
In office 19 July 1989 – 13 March 1990
President	Roh Tae-woo
Preceded by	Moon Tae-joon
Succeeded by	Kim Jung-soo
Personal details
Born	July 7, 1940 Siheung, Korea under Japanese rule
Citizenship	South Korean
Political party	Democratic Party of Korea
Alma mater	Hankuk University of Foreign Studies University of Münster
Occupation	Politician, economist
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Kim Chong-in
Hangul	김종인
Hanja	金鍾仁
Revised Romanization	Gim Jongin
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Chongin

Kim Chong-in (Hangul: 김종인; Hanja: 金鍾仁,^[1] born July 7, 1940) is a South Korean economist and politician. He has been interim chairman of the Minjoo Party of Korea since January 2016, and a member-elect of the National Assembly on the party's proportional list since the April 2016 parliamentary election. He was previously a member of the Assembly from 1981 to 1988, 1992 to 1994, and 2004 to 2008, each time elected by party list. He served as Minister of Health and Social Affairs under President Roh Tae-woo from 1989 to 1990.

Kim spent his early political career in the Democratic Justice Party of President Chun Doo-hwan, and followed the party when it merged with two other conservative parties to form the Democratic Liberal Party in 1990. He remained in the party's successors, becoming an assemblyman for the Grand National Party in 2004 and subsequently a campaign and economic advisor to President Park Geun-hye.^[2] He served as chairman of the Saenuri Party's Special Committee to Promote People's Happiness during Park's campaign, promoting economic democratization and the party's business-friendly image.^[3][4] He was later marginalized by Park,^[5] and separated from the president and her economic cabinet, for reasons which are in dispute. In January 2015, he criticized Park for "not being able to recognize a problem", and commented on his own plans that he had "lost trust in people": "I do not have much desire to talk".^[4]

After stepping down as Park's advisor, Kim subsequently joined the liberal opposition Democratic Party. Following the resignation of Moon Jae-in as party leader in January 2016, he was appointed chairman of the Emergency Planning Commission of the Democratic Party's successor, the Minjoo Party of Korea, with the goal of preparing for the upcoming legislative election.^[6] As party leader, Kim aimed to unify the party by diminishing the influence of entrenched factions.^[7] He targeted leading members of the pro–Roh Moo-hyun faction of the party, including Lee Hae-chan, whom he deselected.^[8] Kim faced calls to resign over the nominations process, but decided to stay on as leader,^[9] pledging to continue reforming the party.^[10] Despite losing most of the seats in its traditional stronghold of Honam to the new People's Party,^[11] the party gained a favorable result in the elections under his leadership, defeating the ruling Saenuri Party and winning a plurality of seats in the Assembly.^[12]

Kim consolidated his control over the Minjoo Party with the favorable 2016 election result.^[13] A week after the election, he announced that the party would reorient from welfare advocacy to support for economic growth and corporate reform, and dropped the party's prior policy of opposition to for-profit hospitals.^[14]

Before entering politics, Kim studied German language at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies as an undergradate, and obtained a doctorate in economics at the University of Münster in Germany in 1972. His dissertation at Münster was titled "Possibilities and Limits of Social Policy in the Present Social–Economic Situation in the Republic of Korea".^[15] He was professor of Sogang University,^[2] and board chairman of KB Kookmin Bank, the largest private bank of Korea.

References

1. "경제민주화 앞세워 박근혜와 대결". The Wolgan Chosun. April 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
2. "Economists to spearhead parties' campaigns". The Korea Times. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
3. "Park's aides focus on growth, fair economy". The Korea Herald. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
4. "Reformist's vision still remains elusive". Korea JoongAng Daily. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
5. "韓国は成熟できるか". Newsweek Japan (in Japanese). 26 December 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2016. (subscription required (help)).
6. "Minjoo Party turns crisis into opportunity". Hanhodaily. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
7. "Kim Jong-in Gets Rid of Pro-Roh Dominance and Replaces the Mainstream: Signs of Factional Conflict". The Kyunghyang Shinmun. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
8. "Former P.M. quits Minjoo Party in nomination feud". The Korea Herald. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
9. "Opposition chief quells dissenters". The Korea Herald. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
10. "Minjoo's identity must be changed: Kim Chong-in". Korea JoongAng Daily. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
11. "In liberal stronghold, voters give main opposition party a lashing". The Hankyoreh. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
12. "Ruling Saenuri Party Wins One Less Seat than Minjoo Party of Korea". KBS World Radio. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
13. "Kim Chong-in solidifies leadership with election victory". The Korea Times. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
14. "Opposition party shifting to growth". The Korea Times. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
15. Kim, Chong-in (1972). Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Sozialpolitik in der gegenwärtigen sozial-ökonomischen Lage der Republik Korea (Ph.D.). University of Münster.