Chung Hong-won

Chung Hong-won
정홍원
Prime Minister of South Korea
In office 26 February 2013 – 16 February 2015
President	Park Geun-hye
Preceded by	Kim Hwang-sik
Succeeded by	Lee Wan-koo
Personal details
Born	9 October 1944 Kato County, Korea (now Hadong County, South Korea)
Political party	Saenuri Party
Alma mater	Sungkyunkwan University
Religion	Dutch Reformed Church

Chung Hong-won
Hangul	정홍원
Hanja	鄭烘原
Revised Romanization	Jeong Hong-won
McCune–Reischauer	Chŏng Hongwŏn

Chung Hong-won^[1] (Hangul: 정홍원; born October 9, 1944 ^[2]) was the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea. He served from 26 February 2013^[3] to 16 February 2015.

Early life and education

Chung graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (undergraduate) from Sungkyunkwan University.^[4] After passing the Judicial Examination,^[5] he became a prosecutor.

Career

Chung became known after solving several high-profile cases, such as the Lee-Chang scandal (이철희 장영자 어음 사기 사건),^[4] in which relatives of President Chun Doo-hwan were prosecuted, and the Walker Hill Casino scandal.^[4]

Chung resigned from his job as a prosecutor in 2003 and then served the president of the Institute of Justice.^[6] From 2004 to 2006, he served as the Standing Commissioner of the Republic of Korea National Election Commission.^[7] From 2008 to 2011, he served as the president of Korea Legal Aid Corporation.^[8]

Before the 2012 general election, he entered the Saenuri Party. On 8 February 2013, he was nominated as the first Prime Minister of President-elect Park Geun-hye's government. On 26 February 2013, after the National Assembly of South Korea confirmed his nomination, he was formally sworn in. On 27 April 2014, he tendered his prime ministership resignation to the president following the Sinking of the MV Sewol on 16 April 2014, during which more than 300 people were killed.^[3] President Park accepted the resignation in principle, but Chung continued to lead the Cabinet after the search and rescue operations of the Sewol came to an end.^[9]

Chung was formally replaced as prime minister on 16 February 2015 .^[10]

References

1. Greeting | 국무총리실.국무총리비서실
2. ⓒ 종합 경제정보 미디어 이데일리 - 상업적 무단전재 & 재배포 금지 (2005-10-25). "▒이데일리-세상을 올바르게,세상을 따뜻하게▒". Edaily.co.kr. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
3. "South Korean prime minister resigns over ferry disaster response - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
4. [종합][프로필]정홍원 국무총리 후보자 : 네이버 뉴스 (in Korean). News.naver.com. 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
5. [프로필]정홍원 국무총리 후보자 : 네이버 뉴스 (in Korean). News.naver.com. 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
6. 법무연수원 사이버교육센터
7. 역대상임위원(글 읽기)<상임위원소개<위원장 및 위원<위원회안내< 중앙선거관리위원회
8. 공단소개>기관장>역대이사장
9. Park to stick to current Cabinet for June polls
10. (LEAD) Parliament endorses PM nominee