Chung Woo-taik

Chung Woo-taik (Korean: 정우택, born 18 February 1953) is a South Korean politician who served as the former Governor of North Chungcheong from 2006 to 2010. He is currently the Member of the National Assembly for Sangdang since 2022.

Chung is a notable Hoseo-based politician, although his actual birthplace is Busan. He was firstly elected MP in the 1996 election, and served as a 4-term MP from 1996 to 2004, and again from 2012 to 2020; both term in North Chungcheong. Once being a member of the now-defunct Alliance of Liberal Democrats (ALDE) that was a coalition partner to the National Congress for New Politics (NCNP) during the Kim Dae-jung government, he served as the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries from March to September 2001, which he resigned following the ALDE's departure from the government. He then joined to the Grand National Party (GNP) and ran for North Chungcheong governorship at the 2006 local elections and was elected, but failed to retain a second term.

He was the interim President of the Saenuri Party from 16 to 28 December 2016, and its successor, Liberty Korea Party (LKP), from 1 April to 2 July 2017.

Early life and education

Chung Woo-taik was born in Yeonsan-dong, Busan, South Gyeongsang (now Yeonsan-dong, Yeonje, Busan) on 18 February 1953 amid the Korean War. He was the fourth son to 5 sons and 2 daughters of Park Deuk-ki and Chung Woon-gap, a veteran politician who served as the former Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and a 5-term MP. He attended Kyunggi High School and Sungkyunkwan University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree. He studied together with a junior named Hwang Kyo-ahn, who later became the Prime Minister and the interim President.

Political career

Early political career (1992-2001)

When the Chairman of Hyundai Group Chung Ju-yung founded the Unification National Party (UNP) in 1992, his son, Chung Mong-joon, who was also the then MP for Ulsan East, asked Chung Ji-taik to join politics. He refused it, but instead suggested his younger brother, Chung Woo-taik, to do so. He contested for Jincheon-Eumseong, where he was the UNP Division Chief, at the 1992 election. He quit the party after his defeat at the election.

He was firstly elected to the National Assembly at the 1996 election under the Alliance of Liberal Democrats (ALDE) ticket. The ALDE soon formed an alliance with National Congress for New Politics (NCNP) and nominated Kim Dae-jung as its candidate at the 1997 presidential election. After Kim was elected president, Chung became a member of the Commission on Presidential Transition, representing the ALDE.

Minister of Oceans and Fisheries (2001)

Following his re-election at the 2000 election, Chung was appointed Minister of Oceans and Fisheries in March 2001. He made total 48 site visits and organised a policy proposal titled "If I am the Minister?", where he accepted various ideas from the employees. Under his ministerial tenure, employees of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries took English examinations in order to enhance the quality. He resigned after ALDE withdrew from the cabinet in September 2001.

In Opposition (2001-2005)

In 2004, the National Assembly voted for the impeachment of Roh Moo-hyun following his remarks that supporting the then ''de facto'' ruling Uri Party. Despite the strong boycott of the Uri Party, 193 MPs from the 3 oppositions (GNP, MDP and ALDE) voted in favour of the impeachment, and Chung was one of them (only Lee Nak-yon and Kim Chong-hoh

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