South Korea has set a unique and historic example for the world by appointing a train driver as its new Minister of Employment and Labor. The decision, hailed by citizens across the country, has been described as a bold step toward worker representation and labor reform.
The newly elected President Lee Jae-myung, currently in the process of forming his government, made headlines by selecting Kim Yong-hoon, a long-serving railway engineer, as the nation’s labor minister. According to reports, when the president reached out to Hoon with the offer on Monday afternoon (June 23), he was still operating a train.
The announcement was officially made during a press briefing at the presidential office, where Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hyun-sik revealed the new ministers for 11 ministries. Among them, Kim Yong-hoon, currently serving as a railway engineer at the Korea Railway Corporation and former chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), was nominated as the Minister of Employment and Labor.
A statement from the presidential office expressed optimism: “We hope that he (Hoon) will play a role in reducing accidents, amending the yellow envelope law, and strengthening the rights of working people.”
This marks the first time in South Korea’s history that a train driver has been appointed as the country’s labor minister. At 57, Kim brings with him decades of experience, not just on the rails, but also as a prominent labor organizer. He is a respected member of the KCTU, South Korea’s largest labor union, which represents approximately 1.2 million workers, and has led several strikes and initiatives to defend workers’ rights.
On the very day of his nomination, Kim was driving ITX Samaul Train No. 1008, which departed Busan Station at 1:14 p.m. and arrived at Seoul Station at 6:15 p.m. It was during this shift that Kim received news of his appointment.
In a Facebook post following the announcement, Kim wrote, “I will do my best for a true Republic of Korea where labor is respected.”
Kim’s journey began in 1992 when he joined the Korea Railroad Corporation as a railway engineer after graduating from college. He started his labor activism in 2000, serving as the head of the Busan branch of the Korean Railroad Workers’ Union. He was later elected as chairman of the union in 2004 and subsequently led the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions from 2010 to 2012. In 2017, he entered politics by joining the Justice Party (currently the Democratic Labor Party).
President Lee’s decision is being seen as a powerful statement in support of workers and is expected to usher in a new era of labor-focused governance in South Korea.
