Minister Kim Moon-soo has stepped down from the ministerial position he has held for over seven months and has officially confirmed his intention to run for president.
On the 8th, Minister Kim said at the farewell ceremony held at the Ministry of Employment and Labor in Sejong that "now is the time to revive a great Republic of Korea" and "I wish to participate in the presidential election scheduled for June 3."
Before the start of the farewell ceremony, Minister Kim shook hands with each employee of the Ministry for 10 minutes. A Deputy Director received his autograph, and Minister Kim said, "I will also take photographs with each one of you."
Minister Kim said, "After nearly 50 years since taking my first step in the labor sector as the chairman of the union at Hanil Doruco in the 1970s, I have finally been able to work for the workers along with the labor inspectors," adding, "My first directive as minister was to eradicate wage arrears."
He noted, "In the era of platforms and artificial intelligence (AI), new jobs are emerging, and there are vulnerable workers that cannot be protected by the existing labor standards laws that apply only to large factories," and added, "I had hoped for the swift passage of the Labor Vulnerable Protection Act to wipe away the tears of these individuals, but it is still pending in the National Assembly."
Minister Kim emphasized the challenging reality of youth employment, stating, "The number of youth who are 'inactive' has exceeded 500,000," and "There are still many young people who graduate from college but cannot find jobs and cannot realize their dreams. Every time I face this reality, my heart aches."
Minister Kim said, "Although there is so much that the Ministry of Employment and Labor needs to do, my heart is very heavy to have to leave you all," and added, "I now wish to move forward towards a great Republic of Korea."
Meanwhile, shortly after the farewell ceremony, when asked by reporters about his thoughts on the 'Dec. 3 martial law', Minister Kim stated, "I have never supported martial law, but the fact that this martial law is a coup d'état is currently under legal judgment," and mentioned, "Isn't it true that former President Yoon Suk-yeol was dismissed by the Constitutional Court because of the martial law? That ruling must be accepted."