Rep. Kim Sung-whan of the Democratic Party of Korea has been nominated as the next Minister of Environment, the presidential office announced Monday.

Kim, a three-term lawmaker who has been a prominent advocate of green policies in the National Assembly, played a central role in shaping President Lee Jae Myung’s climate and energy policies during the recent presidential elections.

In Lee’s campaign team, Kim worked as the co-head of the Democratic Party’s policy committee to form policies and pledges around issues concerning the climate crisis, carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability.

Currently a member of the National Assembly’s special committee on the climate crisis, Kim has remained active in cross-party efforts to accelerate Korea’s decarbonization efforts. His notable legislative initiatives include bills on renewable energy governance, green hydrogen support and mandatory bidirectional charging systems for electric vehicles.

“(Kim) shares the president’s deep awareness that the climate crisis is a survival crisis that everyone must handle, and is expected to bring his legislative experience to bear in tackling the country’s pressing environmental challenges,” said Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, announcing Kim’s nomination.

Born in 1965, Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Yonsei University and a master’s degree in public administration from the same school.

The nominee first began his political career in 1995 as a member of the Nowon-gu Council, before serving as the presidential secretary for policy coordination under the Roh Moo-hyun administration from August 2006 to September 2007.

After serving as the district head of Nowon-gu from July 2010 to February 2018, Kim was later elected as a lawmaker from June 2018 for the 20th National Assembly.