Song Young-gil is a South Korean politician who served as the Leader of the centre-liberal Democratic Party from 2 May 2021 until 10 March 2022.
43 Facts About Song Young-gil
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Song Young-gil was Member of the National Assembly, as well as the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the 21st National Assembly.
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Song Young-gil held various positions such as the Chair of the Democratic Party's Special Committee on Peace and Cooperation in Northeast Asia and as the Chair of the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation.
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Song Young-gil previously served as Mayor of Incheon from 2010 to 2014.
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Song, Young-gil was born in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, the fourth son of a poor civil servant.
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Song Young-gil grew up in a rural area and was inspired by nature.
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Song Young-gil subsequently became the first ever directly elected president of the student council and thereafter led the student democratization movement.
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Song Young-gil became a welder at the Daewoo Motor factory in Incheon.
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Song Young-gil worked in watch, glove, and furniture factories for two years.
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In 1987 with the support of Germany's human rights foundation 'Bread for the World' and Kim, Dae-joong, Kim, Young-sam and other politicians, Song Young-gil established 'Christian Public Education Research Institutes' in Bupyeong, Incheon.
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Song Young-gil conducted legal counseling for human rights violations, education on labor unions, and provided legal support.
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Song Young-gil dedicated himself in promoting the rights of transportation laborers.
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Song Young-gil ran in the 1999 by-election to help people in need but lost because the general public was disenchanted by politics at the time.
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Shortly afterwards, Song Young-gil began his career as a National Assemblyman in 2000.
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Song Young-gil led a National assembly delegation which attended a Human Rights and Parliamentary Conference for the five Northeast Asian nations which was held in Mongolia.
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Song Young-gil assumed the role of Chairman of the Democratic Party's Commission on the Yong-san Tragedy to negotiate with the government and Seoul City over much delayed compensation and funeral issues.
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In 2001, through the activities of a special committee, Song Young-gil sent CDs containing information on Japan's invasion, comfort women and the distortion of Japanese history books to 600 overseas institutions, demanding Japan's apology and asking for the support of other nations.
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Song Young-gil thought that there should be keen interest in and support for Myanmar from the whole world as well as Korea, and has cooperated with it since 2003.
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Song Young-gil has said that to prepare for reunification and to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, the South needs to increase similarities through economic, political and cultural exchanges with the North, which would help the North Korean economy increase its self-reliance.
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Song Young-gil believes that to bring lasting peace to the Korean Peninsula, new changes are much needed.
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Song Young-gil has visited Gaeseong Industrial Complex several times which has been playing a critical role in ensuring the self-reliance of North Korea and contributing to peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the world.
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Song Young-gil held meetings with businessmen and government officials to encourage more companies to move to the North which might in turn induce the communist nation to introduce reform and openness.
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Song Young-gil called on the government to enter dialogue with the North and to closely cooperate with neighboring countries to form 6-party talks which play such a vital role in the joint security of Northeast Asia.
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Song Young-gil urged the Democratic Party to pay keen interest in this issue and to find solutions.
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Song Young-gil became the Chairman of the Korean-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Council's 21st Century Committee in 2004, and consequently held discussions and conferences on the various issues concerning Korea and Japan.
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Song Young-gil was the Chairman of the Korea-France Parliaments' Friendship Association and led active exchanges to promote knowledge about the EU and France.
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Song Young-gil formed a Special Committee on Korea-US Relations Development and as chairman he endeavored to establish balanced diplomatic relations between Korea and the US, develop inter-Korean relations, enhance the Korea-US alliance, and promote economic cooperation including the Korea-US FTA.
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Song Young-gil believes that the US should lead the easing of sanctions on North Korea, recognition of the Kim Jong-un regime, and declaration of the 'Declaration of the end'.
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Song Young-gil met with US congressmen on November 24,2021 and strongly proposed making North Korea a pro-US state.
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Song Young-gil ran for 6th local election in 2014.
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On 1 March 2016, Song Young-gil declared that he is running for the National Assembly as a Democrat in Incheon's Gyeyang constituency, which he represented in previous years.
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Song Young-gil declared that he will run for the party leadership after the general election and he said that he takes the full responsibility of the entire elections in Incheon and will recover the Incheon politics.
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Song Young-gil returned to the National Assembly after 6 years since he ran for the 5th General election in 2010.
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Song Young-gil pledged to devote himself to make the Party into a 'strong' opposition and to replace the Saenuri government in the upcoming presidential election.
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Song Young-gil was considered to be the leading candidate who represented the wide mainstream democrats.
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On 8 February 2017, Song Young-gil joined Moon, Jae-in's campaign for the 19th Presidential Election as chief campaign manager.
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At the beginning of Moon's presidency, Song Young-gil has been designated as the special envoy of President Moon Jae-in to the Russian Federation in May 2017.
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On 2 May 2021, Song Young-gil was elected the new president of the Democratic Party.
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On 7 March 2022, just two days before the 2022 South Korean presidential election, Song Young-gil was attacked while campaigning for the presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, in Sinchon.
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Song Young-gil was immediately brought to a nearby hospital, and is reportedly safe.
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Song Young-gil became the Democratic candidate by beating former lawmaker Kim Jin-ae through the Democratic primary.
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Song Young-gil denied all charges and ran for the upcoming 2024 general election.
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Song Young-gil was acquitted of the charges in the leadership election, but was convicted and sentenced on January 8,2025, to two years imprisonment for receiving illegal political funding from seven businesspeople.