Former National Assembly Speaker tapped as South Korea’s prime minister

Chung Sye-kyun, the nominee to be the new prime minister. (Yonhap)

Seoul: President Moon Jae-in announced his nomination of Chung Sye-kyun, a six-term ruling party lawmaker and former National Assembly speaker, as new prime minister on Tuesday.

If appointed after a parliamentary confirmation hearing, Chung will be South Korea’s first prime minister who served as a National Assembly speaker.

He’s known for experience and expertise in economic affairs, having worked at a local conglomerate for 17 years ahead of his career as a politician. He was an executive at Ssangyong Group in the early 1990s.

Moon’s choice reflects his strong push for revitalizing the economy in the latter half of his single five-year presidency.

The president also needs a figure who can help Cheong Wa Dae’s efforts to reach out to opposition parties amid ferocious partisan strife.

Moon made the announcement at the Chunchugwan press center of the presidential compound, as he did for the pick of the outgoing prime minister, Lee Nak-yon, two and a half years earlier.

The president stressed that his government has endeavored to reform the outdated system of South Korean society to open a new era.

He pointed out the policy priority of fostering an “innovative, inclusive and fair” economy.

“What matters most to this end is to unite the people’s power as one through integration and harmony and pull off accomplishments in terms of the people’s living and economy so that they can actually feel changes,” Moon said.

In that sense, Chung is the “right person” to meet such a demand of the times, he added.

But critics have voiced concern about the possible negative impact to the principle of separation of powers from the planned installation of a former parliamentary leader to the top administrative position.

Chung led the National Assembly operation not that long before: for two years through the end of May 2018.

Having entered political circles in 1995, Chung was elected as a lawmaker the following year. He assumed many key posts in what’s now the ruling Democratic Party.

He served as minister of commerce, industry and energy between 2006 and 2007.

Chung earned a master’s degree from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University in 1985 and received a Master of Business Administration degree at Pepperdine University in 1990. He was working at Ssangyong’s business units in the United States at the time. In 2004, he received a Ph.D. in business management from Kyung Hee University in Seoul.

Born in Jinan, North Jeolla Province, Chung studied law at Korea University in Seoul.

YONHAP