Seven Former Ministry of Economy and Finance Officials Elected... Anticipated Contributions in the 22nd National Assembly

5 Members Including People Power Party's Choo Kyung-ho and Song Eon-seok
Democratic Party's Ahn Do-gul and Jo In-cheol

Seven candidates from the Ministry of Economy and Finance were elected in the April 10 general election, drawing attention. Among these elected members, a large number of the ‘fiscal and budget line’ are expected to play active roles in the 22nd National Assembly, particularly in the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts and the Planning and Finance Committee.

Elected Representative Choo Kyung-ho

According to the vote count on the 11th, five elected candidates from the Ministry of Economy and Finance belong to the People Power Party, and two to the Democratic Party. Chu Kyung-ho, a People Power Party candidate who served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, was re-elected for a third term in Daegu Dalseong. Chu, a career economic bureaucrat, has held positions such as Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, and Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination. In the National Assembly, he has served as the Planning and Finance Committee whip and the senior deputy floor leader, and is regarded as the ruling party’s leading policy expert.

Song Eon-seok Elected Representative

Song Eon-seok, a People Power Party candidate who served as Budget Director and Second Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, also secured a third term in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province. Song is expected to take on an important role in the 22nd National Assembly as the ruling party whip of the National Assembly’s Budget and Accounts Committee. Lee Jong-wook, a People Power Party candidate who served as Director of the Planning and Coordination Office at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Administrator of the Public Procurement Service, was narrowly elected in Changwon Jinhae. Lee won by a slim margin of 497 votes after a close contest with Hwang Gi-cheol, a Democratic Party candidate.

Eungwook Lee, the elected candidate (center front) [Image source=Yonhap News]

Elected Representative Park Sumin

Park Soo-min, a People Power Party candidate, was elected in Gangnam-eul, Seoul. Park previously served as Head of the Fiscal Analysis Division and Head of the Tax Expenditure Budget Division at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and also held positions such as Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the UK. Park Sung-hoon, a People Power Party candidate in Buk-gu-eul, Busan, was elected after a tight race against Jeong Myeong-hee of the Democratic Party. Park, also from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, has served as Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries and Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of Busan.

Ando-geol Elected Representative

From the Democratic Party, Ahn Do-geol was elected in Gwangju Dongnam-eul and entered the National Assembly. Ahn has held key positions in the budget sector, including Budget Director and Second Vice Minister. Jo In-cheol, a Democratic Party candidate who served as Head of the Total Project Cost Management Division at the Budget Office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Deputy Mayor for Culture and Economy of Gwangju, was elected in Gwangju Seogap.

On the other hand, several candidates from the Ministry of Economy and Finance suffered defeat. Moon Bang-gyu, a former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy and former Second Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, ran as a People Power Party candidate in Suwon-byeong, Gyeonggi Province, but lost to Kim Young-jin of the Democratic Party. Kim Wan-seop, who served as Second Vice Minister of Economy and Finance and was fielded in Wonju-eul, Gangwon Province, also lost. Choi Kyung-hwan, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, ran as an independent candidate in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, but was narrowly defeated by Cho Ji-yeon of the People Power Party. Independent candidates Kwon Oh-bong, former mayor of Yeosu-eul, Jeollanam-do, and Kim Byung-gyu, former Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs of Jinju-eul, Gyeongsangnam-do, were also defeated in the general election.

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