{"id":2204968,"date":"2024-05-03T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2204968"},"modified":"2024-05-06T18:21:52","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T09:21:52","slug":"na-kyung-won-a-five-term-lawmaker-who-may-soon-lead-the-conservative-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/05\/na-kyung-won-a-five-term-lawmaker-who-may-soon-lead-the-conservative-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Na Kyung-won, a five-term lawmaker who may soon lead the conservative party"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite the ruling People Power Party’s (PPP) defeat in South Korea\u2019s general elections last month, Na Kyung-won reclaimed her former district of Dongjak, emerging as one of the few conservative politicians to secure a district in Seoul.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the resignation of former interim leader Han Dong-hoon, the PPP is preparing to elect a new leader, with Na widely seen as a top contender for the role.<\/span><\/p>\n

At 60, she is one of the most high-profile female politicians in the conservative bloc since former President Park Geun-hye and is often compared to <\/span>Choo Mi-ae<\/span><\/a> of the Democratic Party, who is <\/span>expected<\/span><\/a> to be nominated as the next speaker of the National Assembly. Na was the second woman in South Korea’s democratic history to leave her judgeship to pursue a legislative career after Choo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Na has held several high-level positions in the party, though she\u2019s arguably more famous among South Koreans for her past controversial remarks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Na has dedicated part of her work as a lawmaker to enhancing national support for individuals with disabilities, drawing from personal experience as the mother of a daughter with Down syndrome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite once being close acquaintances with President Yoon Suk-yeol, the pair fell out over the past two years. She has also suffered defeats in several party leadership and Seoul mayoral primaries in recent years.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Na Kyung-won as a judge | Image: Na Kyung-won’s Office<\/p><\/div>\n

JUDGE-TURNED-LAWMAKER<\/b><\/p>\n

Na Kyung-won started her political journey as a former judge, spurred into the political arena by the encouragement of Lee Hoi-chang, her senior colleague and then-presidential hopeful. In 2002, she joined Lee’s campaign as a special advisor for the Grand National Party (GNP) during his presidential run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After Lee’s unsuccessful bid, Na briefly returned to law before re-entering politics. By 2004, she had secured a role on the GNP’s candidate selection committee and won her first election as a proportional representative in the 17th National Assembly.<\/span><\/p>\n

The GNP, which has since evolved into the current ruling PPP, helped raise Na’s political stature when she served as a spokesperson for Lee Myung-bak’s presidential campaign in 2007. Her adept handling of sensitive issues, including a bribery scandal surrounding Lee at the time, earned her acclaim from conservative circles, though her standing simultaneously declined among progressives.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2008, Na was re-elected to represent Seoul’s Jung-gu district in the 18th National Assembly, affirming her status as a leading female figure in conservative politics. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Na Kyung-won campaigning for the 2024 ROK General Elections | Image: People Power Party<\/p><\/div>\n

Although she lost the Seoul mayoral primaries in 2010 to Oh Se-hoon, she played a pivotal role as the chief strategist in his subsequent campaign and victory. In 2011, she ran for Seoul mayor as the GNP’s candidate following Oh’s resignation but lost to Park Won-soon.<\/span><\/p>\n

After facing allegations related to expensive cosmetic procedures for herself and her daughter, Na stepped back from politics ahead of the 2012 general elections. However, she made a comeback in 2014, winning a by-election in Dongjak District and joining the 19th National Assembly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She continued her service in the 20th Assembly, though she faced defeat in the 21st under the previous administration. Nevertheless, Na last month secured a fifth term in Dongjak with 54% of the vote.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Na and other legislators celebrating the ratification of ROK-China FTA | Image: Na Kyung-won’s official Facebook page<\/p><\/div>\n

ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTROVERSIES<\/b><\/p>\n

In 2015, Na was elected as the chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, becoming the first woman in history to hold this position.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her efforts during this period included initiatives to reduce restrictions on inter-Korean exchanges while advocating for the passage of the North Korean Human Rights Act.<\/span><\/p>\n

Na’s views on Japan frequently attracted criticism from the progressive bloc. Controversies arose when she attended an event commemorating the 50th <\/span>anniversary<\/span><\/a> of the establishment of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, later calling her attendance a <\/span>mistake<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Further controversy surrounded her <\/span>stance<\/span><\/a> over the comfort women agreement with Japan, after she <\/span>argued<\/span><\/a> that<\/span><\/a> historical and economic issues should be addressed separately.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Na and other lawmakers of the foreign affairs committee mourn the victims of the 2015 Paris terrorist attack | Image: Na Kyung-won’s official Facebook<\/p><\/div>\n

Despite such controversies, Na played a pivotal role in leading both the ruling and opposition parties to <\/span>agree<\/span><\/a> on the South Korea-China Free Trade Agreement and <\/span>managing<\/span><\/a> the <\/span>ratification<\/span><\/a> proposal effectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, she navigated various <\/span>factional<\/span><\/a> conflicts<\/span><\/a> within the conservative party, maintaining her status as a mainstream conservative lawmaker through the turmoil of former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment.<\/span><\/p>\n

In late 2018, Na was <\/span>elected<\/span><\/a> as the floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party, now known as the PPP. Her leadership saw significant moments, such as the parliamentary summoning of presidential aide Cho Kuk for questioning. However, her effectiveness was often questioned, and her vote for Park Geun-hye’s impeachment has led some within the party\u2019s pro-Park faction to view her with suspicion.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a <\/span>mother<\/span><\/a> of a daughter with Down syndrome, Na has been a dedicated advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities. She established the research group “We Can” for children with disabilities and chaired the special committee on welfare for citizens with disabilities, among other initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Na and President Yoon Suk-yeol after she was appointed to lead the presidential committee on resolving low birth rate | I mage: Presidential Office (Oct. 2022)<\/p><\/div>\n

WHY SHE MATTERS NOW<\/b><\/p>\n

Na studied alongside key political figures such as Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk and former land minister Won Hee-ryong at Seoul National University in 1982. She and President Yoon studied together at Seoul National University and reportedly prepared for the bar exam together for years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite this, the two experienced a major falling out over the past two years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Na was appointed to lead a presidential committee to address South Korea’s declining birth rate. She proposed adopting a “Hungarian-style” policy aimed at boosting marriage and childbirth rates by offering substantial financial incentives, including reducing both interest and principal on loans based on a family’s number of children.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Yoon, who drew support from groups with anti-feminist agendas and pledged to pursue a <\/span>belt-tightening<\/span><\/a> policy, opposed Na’s suggestions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Na announced that she had tendered her resignation from her position after her proposals were dismissed, but Yoon later said that she was fired rather than accepting her resignation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Should Na succeed in her bid to lead the PPP, she is expected to seek to <\/span>distinguish<\/span><\/a> the party from Yoon’s administration, unlike her predecessor <\/span>Han Dong-hoon<\/span><\/a>, whose <\/span>close<\/span><\/a> relationship with Yoon <\/span>contributed<\/span><\/a> to the party’s recent electoral losses amid the president’s low approval rating.<\/span><\/p>\n

Na’s leadership might bring a shift in the party’s approach to various controversies, <\/span>including<\/span><\/a> scandals<\/span><\/a> involving<\/span><\/a> the first lady.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She has already <\/span>indicated<\/span><\/a> that she intends to introduce legislation similar to her previously proposed childbirth incentives at the start of the 22nd National Assembly.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Na Kyung-won campaigning for the 2024 ROK General Elections | Image: Na Kyung-won’s official Facebook page<\/p><\/div>\n

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BIO: NA KYUNG-WON (\ub098\uacbd\uc6d0, \u7f85\u537f\u7457)<\/b><\/p>\n

Age: <\/b>60, born in 1963 in Dongjak-gu, Seoul\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Family background: <\/b>Eldest daughter of Na Chae-sung, former Air Force pilot and later the founder of an influential foundation that owns various schools in Seoul; Married to Kim Jae-ho, 60, her Seoul National University (SNU) peer and now a judge on the Seoul High Court\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Education:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n