Chun Jung-bae

This is a Korean name; the family name is Chun.
Chun Jung-bae
천정배
Chairman of the People's Party
Assumed office
2 February 2016
Serving with Ahn Cheol-soo
Preceded by Position established
Member of the National Assembly
Assumed office
30 April 2015
Preceded by Oh Byeong-yun
Constituency Gwangju Seo B
In office
30 May 1996  29 May 2012
Constituency Ansan Danwon A (2004–2012)
Ansan B (1996–2004)
Minister of Justice
In office
29 June 2005  26 July 2006
President Roh Moo-hyun
Preceded by Kim Seung-kew
Succeeded by Kim Seong-ho
Personal details
Born (1954-12-12) 12 December 1954
Yeontae-myeon, South Jeolla, South Korea
Citizenship South Korean
Political party People's Party (2016–present)
Residence Gwangju, South Korea
Alma mater Seoul National University
Occupation Lawyer
Religion Protestant
Chun Jung-bae
Hangul 천정배
Hanja 千正培
Revised Romanization Cheon Jeongbae
McCune–Reischauer Ch'ŏn Chŏngbae

Chun Jung-bae (Hangul: 천정배; hanja: 千正培; born 12 December 1954) is a South Korean politician who is the joint chairman of the People's Party, alongside Ahn Cheol-soo. He is a member of the National Assembly for Seo District in Gwangju since 2015, having previously represented Ansan from 1996 to 2012. He served as Minister of Justice from 2005 to 2006 under President Roh Moo-hyun.

Chun was credited with securing Roh's victory in the 2002 presidential election and, as floor leader of Roh's Uri Party, the party's subsequent majority in the 2004 legislative election.[1] In 2007, Chun defected from the Uri Party to the United New Democratic Party after entering into conflict with other members of the pro-Roh group, including then–presidential chief of staff Moon Jae-in.[2]

After standing unsuccessfully for a seat in Seoul in the 2012 elections for the Democratic United Party, Chun organized the presidential nomination campaign of Kim Doo-kwan as an alternative candidate to Moon, who would become the party's nominee.[2] Continuing to oppose Moon, by that time party leader, he left the DUP's successor the New Politics Alliance for Democracy in March 2015,[3] citing the party's lack of reformist leadership. He ran as an independent that year in a by-election in Gwangju, commonly viewed as a stronghold of the main liberal party, and defeated the NPAD candidate in a shock landslide victory on April 29, returning to the Assembly.[4] In September 2015, a number of NPAD lawmakers in contact with Chun defected from the party, triggering speculation over the formation of a new party;[5] on September 19, Chun publicly announced that he would establish a new party in opposition to the NPAD.[6]

Chun established a new People's Reform Party, and joined forces with Ahn Cheol-soo in January 2016 to form the People's Party.[7] In the lead-up to the 2016 parliamentary elections, however, Chun came into conflict with Ahn in March over the prospect of an electoral alliance with the Minjoo Party of Korea, the NPAD's successor; Chun vowed to boycott party meetings until Ahn withdrew from his opposition to such a pact.[8] He backed down after a private meeting with Ahn on March 15,[9] and the alliance with the Minjoo Party ultimately failed to materialize.[10]

References

  1. "Chun Jung Bae: Parliamentary Leader, Uri Party, South Korea". Bloomberg. 12 July 2004. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Former politician claims to be 'pro-Roh but not pro-Moon'". The Dong-A Ilbo. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  3. "Party feud erodes Moon’s leadership". The Korea Herald. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  4. "Chun's win gives wakeup call to NPAD". The Korea Times. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  5. "Opposition lawmakers defect to join new party". Korea JoongAng Daily. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  6. "Independent lawmaker Chun Jung-bae to set up party". The Korea Times. 20 September 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  7. "Ahn Cheol-Soo, Chun Jung-Bae To Create New Party". TBS eFM. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  8. "Ahn's party on verge of breakup". The Korea Times. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  9. "Ahn, Chun make up". The Korea Times. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  10. "Minjoo, People’s Party abandon alliance idea". Korea JoongAng Daily. 6 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
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