▲ Rep. Jeon Yong-gi
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok nominated 30-something lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi and Kwon Mi-kyung, chairperson of the Federation of Korean Public Industry Trade Unions under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), as appointed Supreme Council members today (August 20).
Leader Kim announced the appointments during a general meeting of party lawmakers held at the National Assembly today.
Jeon, a two-term lawmaker, was nominated as the Supreme Council member representing youth, while Kwon was nominated as the representative for labor.
The appointments will be finalized after receiving approval from the Supreme Council meeting on August 21 and subsequent endorsement by the Party Affairs Committee.
Ahead of its national convention, the Democratic Party had considered introducing a youth Supreme Council member system—which would separate and elect one of the five elected Supreme Council members exclusively for youth—but ultimately decided against it.
Consequently, Leader Kim had previously pledged to allocate one of the appointed Supreme Council positions to a youth representative during the national convention period.
Jeon has previously served as the chairperson of the party's National University Student Committee, senior vice chairperson of the Policy Committee, and senior deputy floor leader for communications.
Explaining the decision to allocate one of the appointed Supreme Council seats to the labor sector during the lawmakers' meeting, Leader Kim said, "Because the party needs to support mega-project growth and other initiatives, it may appear business-friendly and growth-oriented. There is also a need to strengthen the labor sector as a countermeasure against polarization."
Kwon, who worked as a nurse at Yonsei University Health System, served as the chairperson of the Severance Hospital Labor Union and was elected as a Seoul Metropolitan Council member in 2014.
Regarding the appointments, Leader Kim stated, "We also took regional distribution and the balance between men and women into consideration."
Jeon is originally from Masan, South Gyeongsang Province, a region where the party faces an uphill battle, while Kwon is from Samcheok, Gangwon Province, an area known for strong conservative leaning.
Once the two are confirmed as appointed Supreme Council members, the new nine-member leadership will include two women.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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