Chung Dong-young
| Chung Dong-young | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the National Assembly | |
|
Assumed office 30 May 2016 |
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| Constituency | Jeonju C |
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In office 29 April 2009 – 11 April 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Kim Sae-woong |
| Succeeded by | Kim Sung-ju |
| Constituency | Deokjin-gu |
|
In office 11 April 1996 – 10 December 2004 |
|
| Preceded by | Oh Tan |
| Succeeded by | Chae Su-chan |
| Constituency | Deokjin-gu |
| 31st Minister of Unification | |
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In office 1 July 2004 – 9 February 2006 |
|
| President | Roh Mu-hyun |
| Preceded by | Lee Jong-seok |
| Succeeded by | Jeong Se-hyun |
| 6th Chairman of the Uri Party | |
|
In office 18 February 2006 – 1 June 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Yoo Jae-gun |
| Succeeded by | Kim Geun-tae |
| 1st Chairman of the Uri Party | |
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In office 11 January 2004 – 17 May 2004 |
|
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Shin Gi-nam |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Chung Dong-young July 27, 1953 Sunchang County, North Jeolla |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Political party | People's Party |
| Alma mater |
Seoul National University University of Wales |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Chung Dong-young | |
| Hangul | 정동영 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 鄭東泳 |
| Revised Romanization | Jeong Dong-yeong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chǒng Tongyǒng |
Chung Dong-young (born July 27, 1953 in Sunchang County, North Jeolla) is a politician and was the United New Democratic Party candidate for President of South Korea in 2007.
From April 2004 until December 2005, Chung was the South Korean Minister of Unification. 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 was considered a strong contender to succeed Roh Moo-hyun as president. Like Roh, Chung is also a Roman Catholic.
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.
During his tenure as Unification Minister, Chung was a strong supporter of the Sunshine Policy. One of his uncontroversial achievements is the foundation of Kaesong Industrial Complex, which is an exclusive industrial zone set up on the southernmost province of North Korea, Keasong. The establishment of the complex, by allowing South Korean small and middle sized companies hiring cheap labors from North Korea brought synergetic effect on the South Korean economy. The complex is now reputed to have promoted peace on the Korean peninsula and to have served as "the bastion of peace" whenever the North and South relationship is strained. Some people criticize that he has not taken a tougher stance on North Korea, and that he had rhetorical clashes with the United States that helped weaken relations between the two countries. He was once accused of attempting to distract reporters from a meeting of activists for human rights in North Korea. However, some of the criticisms are biased by the one-sided political perspective from the people who support the hard-line approach to North Korea. The contention that he had impeded on the relationship between South Korea and the United States can be counter proven by the process he had made the Keasong Complex realized. The Keasong Complex could not have made possible unless the then Bush administer had authorized the approve of foreign materials flowing into North Korea. The realization of the complex in the middle of hawk driven period of "axis of evil" can only be correctly explained by the quick and wide approach by the then Unification Ministry and the minister Chung to convince the US government and the Korean counterpart.
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