Woo Won-shik

Woo was born in Seoul in 1957 and studied civil engineering at Yonsei University,[1] later receiving a master's degree in environmental studies from the same university.[2] He was arrested and sentenced to three years of penal labor under the Chun Doo-hwan regime in 1981 for taking part in protests demanding Chun's resignation.[1]

Woo was elected to the National Assembly in 2004 as an Uri Party candidate in the Nowon B constituency in Seoul. Early in his Assembly career, Woo pressed for the abolition of South Korea's National Security Law,[3] and attacked the Supreme Court in 2004 for backing the permanence of the law.[4] Later, in 2007, he criticized the U.S. armed forces in Korea for the poor environmental conditions on American military bases.[5] He ran unsuccessfully for chairman of the United New Democratic Party in the leadership election on 10 January 2008, losing to Sohn Hak-kyu.[6] He lost his seat in the 2008 elections, but stood successfully in the next elections in 2012.[1]

As an assemblyman, Woo has been active in promoting labor rights.[2] He is a member of the Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee.[7] In 2007, he presided over the unanimous approval of a bill to allow academics at private universities to organize unions.[8] Following his re-entry to the Assembly, in 2013 he established the Committee for Improving the Standing of the Have-Nots or "Euljiro Committee", a group that mediates industrial disputes and works to protect workers' rights. He has served as the Committee's chairman since its founding.[2][9]

Woo has served in a number of important positions in the Democratic Party and its predecessors, including deputy floor leader and deputy secretary general.[2] He is seen as independent of the party's pro–Roh Moo-hyun and Jeolla factions.[10] Woo also acted as opposition administrator of the special hearing committee to vet the appointment of Hwang Kyo-ahn as Prime Minister in May–June 2015, with the Dong-A Ilbo describing him at this time as having a "strong, steely character".[11]