Chung Woon-chun

Chung Woon-chun (Korean: 정운천, born 10 April 1954) is a South Korean farmer, businessman and politician who has been serving as one of co-Presidents of the Party of New Conservatives since 2020. He is also a Member of National Assembly for Jeonju 2nd constituency since 2016. He is one of rare conservative MPs in Honam. Prior to his MP career, he briefly served as the Minister of Agriculture, Fishery, and Food under the President Lee Myung-bak.

Career

Born in Gochang, Chung moved to Iksan and attended to Namsung High School. After he earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Korea University, he built polytunnels in Haenam to cultivate New Zealand kiwis. He named the kiwis as Chamdarae, and the business was successful, despite of several crises — Typhoon Thelma in 1987, market liberalisation in 1989, and warehouse fire in 1999. This career gave him a nickname, "Lee Kun-hee of agricultural industry". Though his success was later even mentioned in several textbooks, a former Democratic Labour MP Kang Ki-kap criticised that Chung's business was operated with government grants.

Political career

In 2005, Chung shortly worked under the President Roh Moo-hyun. Shortly after Lee Myung-bak was elected as the new President, Chung was appointed as the Minister of Agriculture, Fishery, and Food. He took a key role of the US beef imports, which sparked several controversies. 3 opposition parties — United Democratic Party, Democratic Labour Party, and Party for Freedom and Advancement, suggested a motion of no-confidence against him. He barely survived, but shortly after a nationwide protest was sparked, in which led him to be sacked from the position.

Following his dismissal, Chung wrote a book Tangy (撲鼻香, named after a poem of Huangbo Xiyun) which talks about a hardship during his ministership. Then, he was invited to the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) prior to the local elections in 2010. He unsuccessfully ran as the Governor of North Jeolla Province, but gained 18.2%, which became a sensation in South Korean society.

In 2012 election, Chung was nominated as the Saenuri MP candidate for Jeonju Wansan 2nd constituency (the "Wansan" was removed from its name in 2016). He led in several opinion polls in which focused by some media, but in the end he received 35.8% and lost to DUP's Lee Sang-jik.

Chung was selected again as the Saenuri candidate for Wansan 2nd constituency in 2016 election. He faced Choi Hyung-jae, the Democratic candidate who lost to Lee Sang-jik in DUP preselection in 2012. He narrowly beat Lee with a majority of 111 votes, made him to be the 2nd conservative MP of Jeonju after Kang Hyun-wook who was elected under New Korea Party (predecessor of the Saenuri Party) banner in 1996. Along with Lee Jung-hyun, he was the only two MPs elected in Honam.

On 26 December 2016, shortly after the political scandal, Chung resigned from the Saenuri Party (Liberty Korea Party since February 2017), along with the party's dissidents, citing that he is no more able to represent people under the Saenuri banner. He then became a founding member of the Bareun Party, however, on 2 May 2017, sources reported that he was considering about either returning to the Liberty Korea Party or being as an independent. Two days later, he decided to remain as a Bareun MP.

On 14 June 2017, Chung announced his bid for the party presidency. On 26 June, he received 17.6% and came behind to Lee Hye-hoon and Ha Tae-keung (only Kim Young-woo was behind of Chung), in which elected Lee as the President while the others as Vice Presidents. Following the resignation of Lee, he launched his another bid for the snap leadership election, but also came to 3rd and lost to Yoo Seong-min, and therefore remained as a Vice President.

After the Bareun Party was merged into the Bareunmirae Party, Chung announced his another bid for the party presidency. On 2 September, he came to forth and failed to be elected as neither the President nor Vice Presidents.

On 3 January 2020, Chung quitted from the Bareunmirae Party along with the other dissidents. Two days later, he was elected as the co-Presidents of the newly-formed Party of New Conservatives, along with Ha Tae-keung, Oh Shin-hwan, Yoo Ui-dong, and Ji Sang-wook.

Personal life

Chung married to Choi Kyung-sun, a retired school teacher in Seoul. Both has a son (Chung Yong-hoon) and a daughter (Chung Da-eun). His mother died in 1996.

Election results

General elections

Local elections

Governor of North Jeolla