{"id":2204826,"date":"2024-04-24T20:02:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T11:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2204826"},"modified":"2024-04-25T17:51:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T08:51:00","slug":"chung-jin-suk-the-presidents-new-chief-of-staff-is-no-stranger-to-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/04\/chung-jin-suk-the-presidents-new-chief-of-staff-is-no-stranger-to-controversy\/","title":{"rendered":"Chung Jin-suk, the president\u2019s new chief of staff, is no stranger to controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Chung Jin-suk, a former five-term conservative lawmaker, as his new chief of staff after all top secretaries resigned following the ruling party\u2019s landslide election loss.<\/p>\n

Chung, who lost his seat on April 10, now assumes one of the highest-ranking roles in South Korea, which involves supporting the president on national policy directions and ensuring smooth communication within the government and with external entities, including major parties.<\/p>\n

The chief of staff traditionally<\/a> provides<\/a> frank advice to the president when needed. Yoon introduced Chung to journalists in the press room, marking his first appearance there in over 500 days. Yoon praised Chung\u2019s amicable relationships across the political aisle and expressed that he will facilitate better communication with the opposition bloc and the public.<\/p>\n

Yoon emphasized that while his administration focused on designing and implementing key national policies over the past two years, it will spend the next three years prioritizing its goal of \u201cpersuading and communicating with\u201d the opposition and the public more effectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is why I have appointed someone like Chung as the chief of staff,\u201d Yoon stressed.<\/p>\n

POLITICAL JOURNEY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chung Jin-suk started his career at the Hankook Ilbo newspaper, where he spent 15 years covering various beats and serving as a Washington correspondent and editorial writer.<\/p>\n

He entered politics as an advisor to former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil. He was first elected to the National Assembly in the 16th general election in 2000, representing Gongju, South Chungcheong Province \u2014 a district seat previously held by his father, a former Vice Minister of Home Affairs under Park Chung-hee.<\/p>\n

Chung secured victory against his father\u2019s former district rival but lost his seat in 2004. However, he regained it in a by-election after his opponent was disqualified for election law violations.<\/p>\n

In 2007, Chung joined the Grand National Party, one of the previous incarnations of the current ruling People Power Party (PPP). He returned to the National Assembly for the third time in 2008 as a proportional representative.<\/p>\n

In 2010, then-President Lee Myung-bak appointed Chung as the senior presidential secretary for political affairs, prompting him to give up his parliamentary seat. After an unsuccessful attempt to reclaim his district in the 19th assembly and a loss in Seoul\u2019s Junggu District, Chung narrowly lost the 2014 South Chungcheong governor race to Ahn Hee-jung.<\/p>\n

Chung made a comeback in 2016, defeating Democratic Party (DP) rival and former Blue House official Park Soo-hyun to represent his previous district and become a four-term lawmaker. He won again in 2020 but was defeated by Park in the 2024 general election.<\/p>\n

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Chung meets with former prime minister Kim Jong-pil, May 2016 | Image: People Power Party<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018LADDER POLITICS\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chung is known for his \u201cladder politics<\/a>\u201d approach, which aims to bridge gaps. He has stated that he doesn\u2019t wish to be involved in intra-party factional divides.<\/p>\n

Initially, Chung was often associated with the faction closer to former President Park Geun-hye than former President Lee Myung-bak due to his father’s role under the Park Chung-hee government \u2014 Park Geun-hye\u2019s father. Before passing away in 2009, Chung\u2019s father reportedly asked him to assist Park Geun-hye, who was then a member of the Grand National Party.<\/p>\n

Despite this perception, Lee Myung-bak later appointed Chung the senior presidential secretary of political affairs, seeking top aides who could balance intraparty factions.<\/p>\n

In this role, which typically involves coordinating between the party and the presidency, Chung reportedly contributed to facilitating communication and a meeting between then-President Lee and then-conservative party leader Park Geun-hye, ultimately helping secure a smooth transition from Lee to Park, allowing the conservatives to control the presidency for almost a decade.<\/p>\n

Upon his selection as a Blue House secretary, Chung famously emphasized in a media interview that his role was to challenge the president and \u201csay no\u201d when needed.<\/p>\n

Returning to the National Assembly, he defeated Na Kyung-won in May 2016 to become the floor leader of the Saenuri Party, which succeeded the Grand National Party.<\/p>\n

However, with Park Geun-hye facing impeachment, the conservative party experienced internal strife between pro-Park and anti-Park factions. Despite pledging not to side with either faction, his decision to reinstate Yoo Seung-min, a vocal Park critic, to the party earned him animosity from the pro-Park faction.<\/p>\n

Chung\u2019s tenure as floor leader was short-lived, as he resigned in Dec. 2016 amid impeachment proceedings against Park Geun-hye.<\/p>\n

After returning to the National Assembly in the 2020 elections, Chung was elected deputy speaker and faced intraparty strife yet again, but this time under the Yoon administration.<\/p>\n

In late 2022, following the suspension of then-PPP emergency committee chairman Joo Ho-young, the party appointed Chung to be Joo\u2019s successor. This appointment led to an extensive conflict with former party leader Lee Jun-seok, who filed a court case alleging the illegality of Chung\u2019s chairmanship.<\/p>\n

The court sided with Chung, resulting in Lee\u2019s eventual estrangement from the party.<\/p>\n

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Chung, then-floor leader of the Saenuri Party, meets then-President Park Geun-hye, Aug. 2016 | Image: Saenuri Party<\/p><\/div>\n

CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite being perceived within his party as having minimal factional bias, Chung\u2019s relations with the opposition have been largely adversarial.<\/p>\n

For instance, during a speech in the National Assembly last year, he criticized the DP for behaving like a \u201cnation-destroying legislative dictatorship\u201d and committing \u201cirresponsible acts harmful to national interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Chung advocates for moderate ladder politics, he is also known for his harsh, often controversial and defamatory rhetoric. His most contentious remarks concern Japan and former President Roh Moo-hyun.<\/p>\n

In Oct. 2022, Chung sparked controversy by responding to DP leader Lee Jae-myung\u2019s criticism of South Korea\u2019s participation in trilateral military exercises alongside Japan\u2019s Self-Defense Forces.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did Joseon collapse? Did it collapse because it was invaded by Japan? Joseon rotted from within and thus fell; Japan never waged war against Joseon,\u201d he wrote in a social media post, claiming that the last Korean kingdom collapsed under its own corruption and incompetence.<\/p>\n

Opposition parties criticized Chung\u2019s comments as reflecting remarks frequently used by Japanese revisionists to justify their country\u2019s imperialist past. However, Chung stood by his comments, contending they were based on historical facts and admonishing critics to \u201cstudy history better.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2017, Chung mentioned Roh Moo-hyun\u2019s suicide in another social media post, disagreeing with views that investigations initiated by prosecutors during the Lee Myung-bak administration caused Roh to take his own life. He cited prosecutors\u2019 investigation into Roh\u2019s family, who had allegedly received bribes, and suggested that Roh committed suicide after a quarrel with his wife.<\/p>\n

In Aug. 2023, a court sentenced Chung to six months in prison for spreading false information and defamation for his 2017 remarks. He was never detained and is still appealing the sentence to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

Chung also stirred controversy in 2019 when he wrote on social media on the fifth anniversary of the Sewol Ferry sinking<\/a>, \u201cPlease stop exploiting the Sewol disaster. If you really sympathize with the children who died on that ferry, you should stop. It\u2019s becoming tiresome now.\u201d<\/p>\n

He later claimed that this criticism was directed at politicians, not the bereaved families and that the words were not his, but instead, he was sharing a message he had gotten from someone else.<\/p>\n

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Chung speaks at a parliamentary forum on resolving the issue of Japan’s use of Korean forced laborers during World War II, Jan. 2023 | Image: People Power Party<\/p><\/div>\n

DIVISIVE RECEPTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chung has often advocated for open dialogue, even as chairman of the emergency committee. He asserts that there is no reason for President Yoon Suk-yeol and DP leader Lee Jae-myung not to meet, emphasizing the need to move beyond rigid meeting formats and expressing willingness to be deprioritized so Yoon can meet Lee first.<\/p>\n

Chung\u2019s political style has drawn mixed reactions among DP lawmakers. Park Jie-won, a former head of the National Intelligence Service and now a five-term DP lawmaker, praised Chung upon his appointment this week, suggesting he was well-suited for the role.<\/p>\n

South Korean media has frequently highlighted Chung\u2019s amicable relations across the political spectrum. Despite his adversarial relations with the DP, his longstanding friendship with Park Jie-won dates back to his days as a Hankook Ilbo D.C. correspondent.<\/p>\n

Chung also maintains a personal friendship with former prime minister and former DP leader Lee Nak-yon, which began when Lee was a fellow journalist at Dong-A Ilbo. In a media interview, Chung referred to Lee as a senior journalist from whom he learned much.<\/p>\n

Chung has also reportedly been friends with Sung Kim, the former U.S. special representative for DPRK policy, since childhood.<\/p>\n

Within his own party, Chung sparked controversy in May 2017 by suggesting at a Liberty Korea Party briefing that those undermining the conservative cause deserved harsh retribution, mentioning the need to \u201chit them on the back of the head with a spiked club.\u201d<\/p>\n

This remark went viral on social media and later fueled a dispute with Lee Jun-seok.<\/p>\n

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol announces his appointment of Chung Jin-suk as his chief of staff | Image: ROK Presidential Office<\/p><\/div>\n

WHY HE MATTERS NOW<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chung holds a central position in the current political landscape for several key reasons. First, politicians like Lee Jun-seok claim that Chung has played a significant role in centralizing party leadership around President Yoon\u2019s allies, influencing party operations.<\/p>\n

Chung\u2019s ability to steer the president toward the PPP\u2019s preferred positions and speak candidly will significantly impact the pace of policy implementation during the remainder of Yoon\u2019s lame-duck presidency. This is crucial as Yoon now has to face off against an emboldened opposition bloc and figures from within his own party who harbor their own ambitions and agenda.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Chung\u2019s past remarks \u2014 particularly those related to Japan \u2014 have attracted significant attention from the opposition bloc. Whether he maintains his acerbic rhetoric or adopts a more diplomatic demeanor as chief of staff will affect Yoon\u2019s ability to collaborate with the opposition.<\/p>\n

Lastly, previous chiefs of staff have directly intervened in party affairs. For example, the last chief of staff asked former PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon to step down for insinuating that the president and the first lady should apologize to the public for the Dior bag scandal<\/a>, tarnishing the ruling party and presidential office\u2019s image.<\/p>\n

It will be vital to monitor Chung\u2019s ability to detach himself from party operations and focus on managing communications between the president and the party.<\/p>\n

For now, Chung has directed members of the presidential staff to restrict \u201csporadic\u201d messaging, indicating a move toward a more centralized and controlled communication strategy, which appears to be his immediate focus.<\/p>\n

\n

BIO: CHUNG JIN-SUK (\uc815\uc9c4\uc11d, \u912d\u93ad\u78a9)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Age: <\/strong>63, born in 1960 in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province<\/p>\n

Family background:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n