Kim Doo-kwan

Kim Doo-kwan 김두관 金斗官
34th Governor of South Gyeongsang
In office 1 July 2010 – 6 July 2012
Preceded by	Kim Tae-ho
Succeeded by	Hong Jun-pyo
Personal details
Born	10 April 1959 Namhae, South Korea
Political party	The Minjoo Party of Korea
Alma mater	Dong-A University
Religion	Buddhism [1] [2] [3]

Kim Doo-kwan (Korean: 김두관, RR: Gim Du-gwan, Hanja: 金斗官; born 10 April 1959) is a South Korean Democratic United Party politician and former civil servant, the present governor of South Gyeongsang Province. He was elected governor in the 2010 local elections as an independent after two previous unsuccessful attempts. He served as Minister for Home Affairs under the administration of Roh Moo-hyun, and is seen as a potential contender for the DUP nomination in the 2012 presidential election.

Early life and education

Kim Doo-kwan was born in a village in Namhae on 10 April 1959. He studied at the Department of Political Diplomacy of Dong-A University, graduating in 1987.^[4]

Political career

After serving as Secretary-General of the Namhae farmers' association from 1987, Kim was prefect of Namhae County in the 1990s. He failed in a bid to become governor of South Gyeongsang in 2002. In 2003, he was chosen as Minister for Government Administration and Home Affairs by Roh Moo-hyun, but on 3 September of that year the National Assembly voted to dismiss him. He unsuccessfully contested Namhae in the 2004 National Assembly elections for the Uri Party, winning 16.9% of the vote.^[5] He subsequently lost a second attempt to become governor in 2006.

Governorship

In the 2010 local elections, Kim won an upset victory in the South Gyeongsang gubernatorial election as an independent candidate, and took office as governor on 1 July 2010. Despite originally promising to maintain his independence, in February 2011 he joined the Democratic United Party.^[6]

Party politics

After the party's defeat in the 2012 parliamentary elections, Kim emerged as an alternative candidate for the DUP nomination for that year's presidential election,^[7] though he had been considered as a potential frontrunner beforehand.^[8] He has been termed the "little Roh Moo-hyun" on account of his unprivileged background and his principles.^[6]

References

1. 1 2 광역단체장 불자 4명 당선 (in Korean). Buddhist News(불교신문), 5 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
2. ↑ 특별인터뷰/ 김두관 경남도지사 당선자 (in Korean). Buddhist News, 17 June 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
3. 1 2 "대장경 판각은 진정한 국민통합 발원 (in Korean). Buddhist News, 25 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
4. ↑ 김두관 경남도지사 "공무원노조는 중요한 정책파트너" (in Korean). MK News, 8 June 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
5. ↑ 준합개표현황 (in Korean). KBS, retrieved 20 April 2012.
6. 1 2 Kim setting out on Dec. presidential run?. The Korea Herald, 19 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
7. ↑ Presidential hopefuls making moves. The Korea Times, 19 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
8. ↑ Dingankar, M. An Overview of South Korean politics. Institute for Defense Studies & Analyses, 1 July 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2012.