Song Young-gil
| Song Young-gil 송영길 |
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|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the National Assembly | |
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Assumed office 30 May 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Choi Won-sik |
| Constituency | Incheon Gyeyang B |
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In office 30 May 2000 – 26 April 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Ahn Sang-soo, Lee Kyeong-jae |
| Constituency |
Incheon Gyeyang B (2004~2010) Incheon Gyeyang (2000~2004) |
| Mayor of Incheon | |
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In office 1 July 2010 – 30 June 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Ahn Sang-soo |
| Succeeded by | Yoo Jeong-bok |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 March 1962 Goheung, South Jeolla, South Korea |
| Political party | Democratic Party of Korea |
| Spouse(s) | Nam Young-sin(1 son and 1 daughter) |
| Alma mater | Yonsei University |
| Song Young-gil | |
| Hangul | 송영길 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 宋永吉 |
| Revised Romanization | Song Yeonggil |
| McCune–Reischauer | Song Yŏngkil |
Song Young-gil(宋永吉, born 21 March 1963) is a South Korean politician and the 5th popularly elected Mayor of Incheon. Prior to serving as mayor, he was a democratic movement student activist and a member of the Korean National Assembly for three terms. He is a practicing Catholic.
Song, Young-gil was born in Goheung, South Jeolla Province in 1963 and experienced the Gwangju Democratization Movement when he was in Dae-Dong High School. He became the first ever directly elected president of Yonsei University's student council. While he was the president of the student council, Song participated in the democratic movement with students from other universities. In 1985, Song was sent to prison for one-and-a-half years for violating the Law on Assembly and Demonstration. Following his release, Song worked as a laborer, including time as a welder for Daewoo Motor, and as a taxi driver for 7 years. At the age of 30, he took the National Bar Examination to challenge human rights violations and improve unfair treatment of the underprivileged. After passing the exam, he became an active human rights lawyer working alongside the weak and the poor. In 1999, in order to further help those in need, he ran in the 1999 by-elections, but lost. He was later elected as a National Assemblyman in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 general elections. As a lawmaker, he has proven his firm vision and affection for the nation through his activities as a member of Special Committees on the Historical Distortion of Japanese Textbooks, Against the Iraq War, the Korea-US FTA, and KIKO. He was also a member of the Legislation & Judiciary Committee and the Finance & Economy Committee. When he was member of the National Assembly’s Committee on Health, Welfare and Information and a Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party, he ran in the Incheon mayoral election and was elected Mayor on June 2, 2010.
Song, Young-gil was born in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, the fourth son of a poor civil servant. He grew up in a rural area and was inspired by nature. In May 1980 when he was a senior high school student, he witnessed the Gwangju Democratization Movement. Seeing the deaths of innocent citizens with his own eyes marked a turning point in his life. After entering Yonsei University to study business management in 1981, he joined the anti-dictatorship movement without any hesitation. In 1984, he succeeded in removing the government-controlled student body and reinstated the student council. He subsequently became the first ever directly elected president of the student council and thereafter led the student democratization movement. He was jailed as a result. In 1988, he was recognized for his contribution to democratization and had his rights reinstated.
After release from jail in 1985, Song moved to Incheon to start life as a laborer. He became a welder at the Daewoo Motor factory in Incheon. He also worked in watch, glove, and furniture factories for two years to experience the hardships of laborers. 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 established ‘Christian Public Education Research Institutes’ in Bupyeong, Incheon. Song conducted legal counseling for human rights violations, education on labor unions, and provided legal support. While working as a taxi driver, he democratized the Taxi Labor Union and became the first Secretary-General of the National Taxi Trade Union, Incheon Division in 1991. He dedicated himself in promoting the rights of transportation laborers.
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