Five-term lawmaker and Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Jeong Seong-ho, who is known as a close aide to President Lee Jae Myung, was nominated as the new justice minister on Sunday. Yonhap Five-term lawmaker and Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Jeong Seong-ho, who is known as a close aide to President Lee Jae Myung, was tapped as the new justice minister on Sunday.
Before entering politics, Jeong worked as a human rights attorney for over a decade after passing the country’s bar exam in 1986.
The 63-year-old entered politics in 2000 and won a seat in parliament for the first time in 2004, representing the constituency of Yangju, Gyeonggi Province — a constituency he has won five times since.
Jeong first met Lee Jae Myung at the national judicial training institute in 1987. Both had passed the bar exam the previous year.
Throughout his parliamentary career spanning over two decades, Jeong held key positions within the National Assembly and the main liberal parties. He was a member of the Assembly’s land infrastructure and transport committee, the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee, and served as the Democratic Party of Korea’s chief spokesperson.
Jeong supported Lee in his first bid for the presidency in 2017, when Lee’s faction within the Democratic Party was considered “minor.” He also represented Lee’s faction when he ran for the party’s floor leader in 2020, but eventually lost to Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, a close confidant of former President Moon Jae-in.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com