Kim Young-jin (, born 17 November 1947) is a South Korean activist and former politician. He was a five-term National Assembly member, and briefly served as the Minister of Agriculture in 2003.
Early history Kim was born in Gangjin, South Jeolla, United States Army Military Government in Korea on 17 November 1947, where he was raised by a family of farmers. He graduated from .
During the Fourth Republic of Korea, he was imprisoned for participating in anti-Yushin protests and the Gwangju Uprising.
Political career National Assembly (1988–2003) Under the Sixth Republic of Korea, he was elected to the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th National Assembly.
In 1993, Kim traveled to Geneva, Switzerland with Cho Il-hyeon, where the two shaved their heads and attempted to lead a hunger strike on 9 December 1993 to protest the Uruguay Round negotiations to open up South Korea's rice market for the United States.
In 2001, Kim traveled to Tokyo, Japan and led a six-day hunger strike to protest the controversial revisionist changes within the New History Textbook, outside of the National Diet Building, from 11–16 April 2001. During this protest, Kim held a sign that read "nihon wa hansei shiru" (日本は反省しる), demanding Japan to reflect on their actions. However, this sign had a typo as shiru (しる) was meant to be shiro (しろ), which caused the typo to become an internet meme amongst 2channel users.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (2003) In 2003, Kim resigned from his fourth term in the National Assembly, upon being appointed as the 53rd Minister of Agriculture and Forestry by President Roh Moo-hyun on 27 February 2003, where he was first tasked with handling a free trade agreement between Chile and South Korea. Later that year, Kim submitted his resignation on 21 July 2003 as a response to the Seoul Administrative Court halting the contentious Saemangeum Reclamation Project.
Kim would attempt to campaign for the 17th National Assembly in 2004, but was defeated by the Uri Party candidate .
National Assembly (2008–2012) Kim was re-elected to the 18th National Assembly in 2008. During his tenure, Kim played a key role in having the Gwangju Uprising added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme.
In 2012, Kim was eliminated from Democratic United Party nomination before the general election. Kim briefly considered running as an independent, criticizing the process, but refused to spoil the vote and retired from politics.
Electoral history YearElections ConstituencyPolitical partyNo. of votes%Results 198813th National Assembly General ElectionGangjin–Wando (South Jeolla)Peace Democratic Party35,06540.46%Won199214th National Assembly General ElectionDemocratic Party33,68545.70%Won199615th National Assembly General ElectionNational Congress for New Politics33,76551.48%Won200016th National Assembly General ElectionProportionalMillennium Democratic Party6,780,35935.87%Won200417th National Assembly General ElectionSeo B (Gwangju)24,72935.61%Defeated200818th National Assembly General ElectionUnified Democratic Party34,89172.52%Won
Bibliography Operation Chungjeong and Gwangju Uprising (충정작전과 광주항쟁) Korean Agriculture's Diagnosis and Reform Tasks (한국농업의 진단과 개혁과제) May Sky (오월의 하늘) Dreams Blooming Amidst Adversity (역경 속에 핀 꿈)
Personal life Kim was married to Yoon Soon-nam. They had a son and two daughters together.
Kim is a follower of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea.
References
External links Kim Young-jin on Korea Constitutional Council