Ministers Park Young-sun, Kim Hyun-mi, and Yoo Eun-hae Among Those Not Running for Re-election

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, and Kim Hyun-mi, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, officially announced that they will not run in the April general election. Although there were many rumors about Kim, a three-term minister, running in the Ilsan area, she decided to continue her duties as minister. Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups, a four-term lawmaker, and Jin Young, Minister of the Interior and Safety, also will not run.

A Democratic Party official said on the 2nd, "It has been decided that the four lawmakers currently serving as ministers will not run in the general election." It is known that Park Young-sun, Kim Hyun-mi, and Deputy Prime Minister Yoo Eun-hye will directly announce their non-candidacy at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Minister Jin Young is reportedly not attending because he is the minister in charge of election management.

In the case of Ministers Park Young-sun and Jin Young, their non-candidacy has been a foregone conclusion since their appointment in April last year. Ministers Kim and Deputy Prime Minister Yoo had shown intentions to run but have since withdrawn.

In Kim's New Year's address, she said, "I will return to my original intention and work together with you," which sparked speculation that she had decided her position.

Previously, Democratic Party members including Representative Lee Hae-chan, Won Hye-young, Baek Jae-hyun, Lee Yong-deuk, Lee Cheol-hee, Pyo Chang-won, and Je Yoon-kyung had expressed their intention not to run.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.