President Lee Jae Myung on Monday nominated five-time Rep. Chung Dong-young of the Democratic Party of Korea to serve as unification minister, the top post responsible for inter-Korean affairs.
If his appointment is confirmed through a parliamentary confirmation process, he will return to the post he held two decades ago. Chung served as unification minister from 2004-2005 under the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, during which he doubled as chair of the National Security Council’s standing committee.
With experience in shaping pro-engagement, pro-dialogue policy toward the North, Rep. Chung is the liberal bloc's most seasoned expert on North Korea matters. He is credited with playing a key role in the successful launch of the now-closed Kaesong Industrial Complex in 2004, working closely with senior US officials to secure US backing for the inter-Korean factory project.
Born in 1953 in Sunchang, North Jeolla Province, he began his career as a journalist at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation in 1978 and later became a prominent news anchor.
He entered politics in 1996 as a member of the 15th National Assembly and became the youngest member of the Democratic Party’s Supreme Council in 2000. He ran in the 2007 presidential election as the candidate of the United New Democratic Party, a precursor of the current Democratic Party of Korea.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
