"We Also Recruit Young Talent"... Korean Party Welcomes Defector Activist Ji Seong-ho and Sports MeToo Figure Kim Eun-hee

Ahead of the 21st general election, defector human rights activist Ji Seong-ho (left), who joined the Liberty Korea Party, and former tennis player Kim Eun-hee, known as the first Me Too figure in the sports world, are shouting "Fighting" with Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn at the Liberty Korea Party recruitment welcome ceremony held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] In response to the ruling party's successive talent recruitments, the Liberty Korea Party also announced its first talent recruitment news of the new year. They have recruited Ji Seong-ho, a defector-turned-human rights activist and representative of NAUH, and Kim Eun-hee, the first Me Too case in the sports world and coach at Goyang Tennis Academy, aiming to capture the votes of young and female voters.

On the morning of the 8th, Yeom Dong-yeol, head of the Liberty Korea Party’s Talent Recruitment Committee, held a welcoming ceremony in a small conference room at the National Assembly Members' Office Building and announced the recruits, saying, "This talent recruitment is based on public sympathy, public inspiration, and public participation."

Representative Ji is known as a so-called 'Kkotjebi' (a slang term referring to North Korean children wandering due to lack of food). At age 14, he lost his arms and legs after falling from a train while stealing coal during a food shortage. He defected from North Korea in 2006, graduated from Dongguk University’s Department of Law in 2015, and is currently active as the representative of the North Korean human rights youth organization 'NAUH.' In 2015, he was invited as one of 24 speakers at the Oslo Freedom Forum held in Oslo, Norway, and in January 2018, he was invited to U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, where he was introduced as a 'symbol of freedom.'

Representative Ji said, "There was a lot of consideration before standing here through the Liberty Korea Party’s talent recruitment. It was not easy," and explained his reason for joining, "It is true that the Liberty Korea Party has not properly addressed human rights issues, but through many conversations with those in charge of talent recruitment, I gained confidence in change."

The second recruit, Coach Kim, became widely known as the first Me Too case in the sports world after suffering sexual violence from a school tennis coach between 2001 and 2002 and filing a complaint in 2016. In 2018, the Supreme Court confirmed a 10-year prison sentence for the coach, and last year, Coach Kim won the first trial of a damages claim lawsuit. Currently, she works as a tennis coach teaching children in Goyang City and is active in supporting athletes, women, and children who have suffered human rights violations. She expressed her aspirations, saying, "I had many thoughts and concerns before joining the Liberty Korea Party. However, I believe that party colors do not matter when it comes to human rights issues," and added, "I will work hard regardless of party affiliation for the human rights of women athletes."

Ahead of the 21st general election, Kim Eun-hee, the first Me Too figure in the sports world who joined the Liberty Korea Party, poses holding hands with Representative Hwang Kyo-ahn at the Liberty Korea Party's welcome ceremony for new recruits held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

The Liberty Korea Party’s choice of these two individuals as the first recruits of the new year is analyzed as an effort to dispel evaluations that it has fallen behind in talent recruitment and to win the hearts of young voters. Committee head Yeom said, "We discovered heroes among the people, socially vulnerable groups, young people who will be future leaders, women involved in everyday politics, and mostly political newcomers who are not party members," and added, "We also rediscovered talents who have worked within the party and gathered talents from various fields among the people."

Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the Liberty Korea Party, personally participated in the talent recruitment event that day and presented a red cushion inscribed with 'Freedom' to Representative Ji and 'Hope' to Coach Kim. He said, "The common traits of the two people recruited today are courage and human rights," and added, "I highly appreciate their courage regarding these two topics that others might neglect. We will show the image of a responsible party leading social change, not a one-time event, so that the two can achieve their goals together with the party."

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