Last Dec., following Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law and subsequent impeachment, Korea was thrust into an early presidential election. The voter turnout among overseas citizens reached a record-high 79.5%, and early voting participation also hit an all-time peak. These numbers clearly reflect the public’s heightened political awareness and eagerness to engage during a time of national crisis.

  Known as the street lawyer, presidential Candidate Kwon Young-gook was the only contender in this election to include women’s issues among his top 10 campaign pledges, proudly defining himself as a feminist president. While other candidates remain passive on matters concerning women and minorities, Candidate Kwon has emerged as a representative voice for those historically excluded from mainstream politics, including women, laborers, immigrants, and multicultural communities. Running as the unified candidate of the progressive bloc, he has pursued a symbolic political path that centers the rights of those often rendered invisible in Korean society.

Q1. To begin with, please introduce yourself.

  I am Kwon Young-gook. I was a dismissed worker in the 1980s and fought for reinstatement throughout the 1990s. In the 2000s, I served as the Head of the Legal Affairs Department at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and as the Chair of the Labor Committee at MINBYUN (Lawyers for a Democratic Society). I have continuously stood alongside dismissed workers and victims of social disasters. As my clients were always on the streets, I earned the nickname streets lawyer. About this time last year, I became the leader of the Justice Party, and I am now running as the representative candidate of the progressive political front in the presidential election.

  Inequality and discrimination are not abstract ideas; they are stark realities. In addition,  these realities are severe enough to incite perpetual internal strife. Yet, there were no political forces or candidates willing to speak openly about them. Many voters were frustrated by this silence. I decided to run in order to respond to their frustration with concrete policies and a clear vision.

  I am the only progressive presidential candidate in this election. Progressivism is about shifting the direction of society. It is about changing a world where workers feel compelled to risk their lives in high-altitude protests. A just society is one where every protesting worker can come down to the ground. When speaking about systemic change and politics for workers, no place seemed more fitting than the site of a high-altitude protest.

  All the other candidates are focused solely on economic growth. Other candidates promise tax cuts. I am the only one discussing policies that marginalized groups and minorities have long hoped for, such as the comprehensive anti-discrimination law and the introduction of a non-consensual rape crime. I described the debate as a 3:1 match, and this is why. However, citizens have told me, ‘At last, we have a real choice.’ I am glad to be offering a meaningful alternative.

  I envision a country where women can live safely and with dignity; a country where all people are free from gender stereotypes; and a country where no one is discriminated against based on sexual orientation. That is what being a feminist means. While working in Gyeongju, I also served as a board member of a sexual violence counseling center and supported victims of sexual violence.

The policies I have proposed are essential to overcoming the discrimination and hate that persist today. When the impeachment protests unfolded, women flooded the squares when they felt it was finally a safe and equal space. That moment revealed how many women had felt silenced until then. The post-impeachment era must be one of gender equality. We need a candidate who will represent women’s voices.

  Through years of work in labor fields, I have witnessed firsthand the dire conditions faced by subcontracted and irregular workers. The proposal to rename the Labor Standards Act reflects the need to expand legal protections beyond the outdated definition of geulloja (salaried employee), to include platform and freelance workers and to reevaluate the value of labor itself.

  The proposed True Four-day Workweek seeks to reduce working hours without lowering wages, improving quality of life and creating jobs. The Yellow Envelope Law aims to guarantee bargaining rights for subcontracted workers and restrict excessive punitive damage claims, thus safeguarding workers’ rights to unionize. These policies aim to build a legal system centered on workers and to reduce structural inequality. Ultimately, I seek to reestablish the dignity of labor and build a society where all workers are respected.

  By enhancing the quality of nine regional flagship national universities and abolishing tuition fees, we aim to ensure access to high-quality and higher education throughout the country. This would ease the heavy concentration of students in Seoul, reduce excessive competition in college admissions, and lighten the burden of private education.

  Strengthening networks among public universities and expanding joint curricula will foster inter-university cooperation and more balanced development in educational quality. These reforms will also allow students from low-income families to attend university without financial hardship, thereby promoting educational equity.

  By increasing the competitiveness of regional universities, these reforms will encourage young people to remain in local areas and contribute to revitalizing regional economies. These educational policies are not just about solving schooling problems—they are foundational to balanced regional development and resolving broader social inequalities.