Kim Jong-in

Kim Chong-in (; born 7 July 1940) is a South Korean economist and politician who served as the acting leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) from January to August 2016 and as the acting leader of the People Power Party from May 2020 to April 2021.

Kim was previously a member of the National Assembly from 1981 to 1988, 1992 to 1994, 2004 to 2008, and 2016 to 2017. He previously served as the minister of health and social affairs under President Roh Tae-woo from 1989 to 1990.

Early life Before entering politics, Kim studied German language at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies as an undergraduate, and obtained a doctorate in economics at the University of Münster in Germany in 1972. His dissertation at Münster was titled "Possibilities and Limits of Social Policy in the Present Social–Economic Situation in the Republic of Korea". He was professor at Sogang University, He served as chairman of the Saenuri Party's Special Committee to Promote People's Happiness during Park's campaign, promoting economic democratization and the party's business-friendly image.

He was later marginalized by Park, and separated from the president and her economic cabinet, for reasons which are in dispute. In January 2015, he criticized Park for "not being able to recognize a problem", and commented on his own plans that he had "lost trust in people": "I do not have much desire to talk". and aimed to unify the party by diminishing the influence of entrenched factions. He targeted leading members of the pro–Roh Moo-hyun faction of the party, including Lee Hae-chan, whom he deselected from the party nomination process. Kim faced calls to resign over the process, but decided to stay on as leader, pledging to continue reforming the party. Despite losing most of the seats in its traditional stronghold of Honam to the new People's Party, the party gained a favorable result in the elections under his leadership, defeating the ruling Saenuri Party and winning a plurality of seats in the Assembly.

Kim consolidated his control over the Democratic Party with the favorable 2016 election result. A week after the election, he announced that the party would reorient from welfare advocacy to support for economic growth and corporate reform, and dropped the party's prior policy of opposition to for-profit hospitals.

Kim left the Democratic Party following greater disagreement with Moon Jae-in in March 2017. In leaving the party, he also gave up his proportional representative seat in the National Assembly.

2017 South Korean presidential election Kim announced his independent candidacy in the 2017 South Korean presidential election to oppose Moon Jae-in in April 2017 after leaving the Democratic Party. Kim dropped out a week later calling for a need of a coalition government.

He then supported the minor centrist People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo in the presidential election, agreeing to lead Ahn's campaign panel that supports a "reformist" government.

Election results General elections Year Elections Constituency Political party Votes (%) Results 1981 11th National Assembly General Election National (49th) DJP 5,776,624 (35.64%) Elected 1985 12th National Assembly General Election National (32nd) DJP 7,040,477 (35.25%) Elected 1988 13th National Assembly General Election Gwanak B (Seoul) DJP 34,752 (27.13%) Defeated 1992 14th National Assembly General Election National (11st) DLP 7,923,718 (38.49%) Elected 2004 17th National Assembly General Election Proportional representation (2nd) MDP 1,510,178 (7.09%) Elected 2016 20th National Assembly General Election Proportional representation (2nd) Democratic 6,069,744 (25.54%) Elected