Chung Dong-young
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Chung Dong-young | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Korean name | |
| Hangul: |
정동영
|
| Hanja: |
鄭東泳
|
| Revised Romanization: | Jeong Dong-yeong |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Chǒng Tong-yǒng |
Chung Dong-young (born July 27, 1953 in Sunchang County, North Jeolla) was the South Korean Minister of Unification from April 2004 until December 2005. Before holding that post, he served two terms in the National Assembly with the National Congress for New Politics and the Millennium Democratic Party, respectively; has twice been chairman of the Uri Party; and has been considered a strong contender to succeed Roh Moo-hyun as president. He has a bachelor's degree in Korean History from Seoul National University (1979) and master's from the University of Wales, and before entering politics, he was a journalist and anchor at the Politics Section of the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation.
He is a strong supporter of the Sunshine Policy, and his tenure as Unification Minister was controversial. He was criticized for his uncritical position on North Korea, and rhetorical clashes with the United States that helped weaken the alliance. He was even accused of attempting to distract reporters from a meeting of activists for human rights in North Korea.(Korean link)
During the campaign for the 2004 general elections, Chung said that seniors should stay home and not vote, based on the public perception that the elderly were mostly supportive of the conservative Grand National Party, which stirred a major controversy and led to his resignation as the chairman of the Uri Party.
Chung has been known to have made controversial statements that were demeaning to the elderly and students from poor backgrounds. Also, some have questioned how he is able to financially support his two sons going to private schools when his reported income is only about US$100,000 a year.[citation needed]
Upon the eve of the Uri Party's defeat in regional elections held on May 31, 2006, Chung apologized for the party's "self-righteous attitude and inadequacy".[1]
Despite this, he stated that should turnout for the elections be under 50% (knowing this was predicted and occurred in the last election) that the legitimacy of the result may be an issue.(Korean link) Chung also criticized opposition leader Park Geun-hye of the Grand National Party for immediately campaigning after her recovery from an attack by a man who slashed her face with a small knife. Earlier he had blamed the attack for the downfall of the party, even though polls showed the Uri Party would lose by a large margin anyhow.(Korean link)
The Uri Party suffered a major defeat in the elections in which the opposition Grand National Party took 13 of the 16 provinces and major cities, while Chung's party only won in North Cholla province. Chung soon resigned as chairman of the Uri Party.
In March 2007, while visiting the North Korean town of Kaesong where South Korean companies are set up, he proposed that an interkorean summit be oragnized there[1].
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- (Korean)Homepage
- "Uri Party leader quits following shocking local election defeat", Yonhap News, May 1, 2006.
- "Front-runners trade barbs as leadership competition heats up", The Korea Herald, February 2, 2006.
- Interview with OhmyNews, December 6, 2004.
- "Unification a Personal Struggle for Chung Dong-young", The Korea Times, May 30, 2004.
- "Senior Citizens Demand Uri Party Chairman Quit Politics", The Korea Times, April 4, 2004.
- "New Chairman Chung Dong-young of the Uri Party", The Dong-A Ilbo, January 11, 2004.
| Preceded by Jeong Se-hyun |
Unification Minister of South Korea June 2004–December 2005 |
Succeeded by Lee Jong-seok |
| Preceded by Jeong Se-hyun |
Chairman of the National Security Council June 2004–December 2005 |
Succeeded by Lee Jong-seok |
| Preceded by Im Chae-jung Moon Hee-sang |
Chairman of the Uri Party January 10, 2004–May 2004 February 16, 2006–June 1, 2006 |
Succeeded by Shin Ki-nam none |
