Kim Han-gil

Kim Han-gil
김한길
Kim campaigning in 2012
Member of the National Assembly
In office 30 May 2012 – 29 May 2016
Preceded by	Gwon Taek-gi
Succeeded by	Chun Hye-sook
Constituency	Seoul Gwangjin A
In office 30 May 1996 – 29 May 2008
Succeeded by	Park Young-sun
Constituency	Seoul Guro B (2004–2008)
Chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy
In office 26 March 2014 – 31 July 2014 Serving with Ahn Cheol-soo
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Park Young-sun (acting)
Chairman of the Democratic Party
In office 4 May 2013 – 26 March 2014
Preceded by	Moon Hee-sang (acting)
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Minister of Culture and Tourism
In office 20 September 2000 – 18 September 2001
President	Kim Dae-jung
Preceded by	Park Jie-won
Succeeded by	Nam Gung-jin
Personal details
Born	(1954-09-17) 17 September 1954 (age 62) Tokyo, Japan
Citizenship	South Korean
Political party	NCNP → MDP → Uri → DP → CRDP → UDP → DP → DUP → DP → NPAD → Minjoo Party of Korea (1996–2016) People's Party (2016–present)
Spouse(s)	Choi Myung-gil
Residence	Gwangju, South Korea
Alma mater	Konkuk University
Occupation	Journalist
Religion	None

Kim Han-gil (Hangul: 김한길; Hanja: 金한길; born 17 September 1954) is a South Korean politician in the People's Party, presently serving as a member of the National Assembly for Gwangjin District, Seoul. He was previously chairman of the Democratic Party from 2013 to 2014, and of its successor the New Politics Alliance for Democracy from March to July 2014.

Having studied political science and journalism at Konkuk University, Kim worked as a journalist in the United States, writing for the Hankook Ilbo and the JoongAng Ilbo. He became active in the National Congress for New Politics in 1996, and remained a member of the main liberal party under its various names until 2016. He served as Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2000 to 2001, undertaking a highly publicized trip to North Korea on 10 March 2001, ostensibly to discuss tourism and culture arrangements. Subsequent to his trip, Kim announced an agreement to form a joint North–South team to compete in the 2001 World Table Tennis Championships, but North Korea rejected the arrangement later in March, citing "incomplete agreement and preparation problems".

Kim became a member of the National Assembly in 1996, but lost his seat in 2008. He returned to the Assembly in the 2012 elections, and became chairman of the Democratic Party in 2013. When the Democratic Party merged with Ahn Cheol-soo's New Political Vision Party to form the New Politics Alliance for Democracy in March 2014, Kim became co-chairman of the new party alongside Ahn. Kim and Ahn both resigned as co-chairmen three months later, however, following the party's disappointing performance in the 2014 by-elections, which had seen a conservative candidate win a constituency in South Jeolla Province for the first time in 26 years.