Kim, 43, nominated as the new Minister of Gender Equality & Family on Friday, is a two-term Saenuri lawmaker who is recognized for her specialty in the IT industry as well as her successful political career.
Kim Hee-jung, Ministry of Gender Equality & Family
In 2004, at age 33, she became the youngest elected woman lawmaker in Korean history, by winning the parliamentary election in her hometown Busan.
Although her major was political science while studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, Kim is known for her work related to the nation’s local IT industry.
The lawmaker served as a member of the Science, ICT, Future Planning, Broadcasting, and Communication Committee of the National Assembly in 2007, and as the first head of the Korea Internet & Security Agency from 2009 to 2010.
Kim worked as a spokeswoman for Cheong Wa Dae under the Lee Myung-bak administration in 2010. She also served as a member of the Gender Equality and Family Committee of the National Assembly, after being re-elected as a lawmaker in Busan in 2012.
By Claire Lee (
dyc@heraldcorp.com)