Jean-Vincent Placé (born 12 March 1968) is a South Korean-born, French

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

politician.

Adopted Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

by a French family as a child, Placé entered politics as a member of the

Radical Party of the Left The Radical Party of the Left (, PRG) is a social-liberal political party in France. A party in the Radical tradition, since 1972 the PRG has been a close ally of the major party of the centre-left in France, the Socialist Party (, PS). Af ...

before joining

Europe Ecology – The Greens The Ecologists – Europe Ecology The Greens (), commonly known as The Ecologists (, LE) and formerly as Europe Ecology The Greens ( , EELV ) until 2023, is a centre-left to left-wing green political party in France. The party is a member of th ...

. He and fellow Green

François de Rugy François () is a French language, French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis (given name), Francis. People with the given name * François Amoudruz (1926–2020), French resistance fighter * Voltaire, Fran ...

left the party in 2015 to found their own Ecologist Party. He formerly was Senator for the department of

Essonne Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659, across 194 communes.Second Valls government, and president of political group Union des démocrates et des écologistes.

Early life and career

Little is known about Placé's origins, apart from the fact that he spent part of his childhood in an orphanage in

Suwon Suwon (; ) is the largest city and capital of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea's most populous province. The city lies approximately south of the national capital, Seoul. With a population of 1.2 million, Suwon has more inhabitants than Ulsan, tho ...

, South Korea. Although his birth certificate states he was born Kwon Oh-bok () in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

on 12 March 1968, Placé himself has expressed doubts about the date because of his situation as an orphan; at the time of his adoption by a French family in 1975, he reportedly appeared younger than his official age. He then grew up with his adoptive family in

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

. After studying economics, Placé, then 26 years old, met

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...

mayor and Parliament member Michel Crépeau and became active within his party "Movement of Radicals of the Left" (later

). According to ''

L'Obs (), previously known as (2014–2024), (1964–2014), (1954–1964), (1953–1954), and (1950–1953), is a weekly French news magazine. Based in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, ' is one of the three most prominent French news magazines a ...

'', Placé also joined the

Grand Orient de France The Grand Orient de France (, abbr. GODF) is the oldest and largest of several Freemasonic organizations based in France and is the oldest in Continental Europe (as it was formed out of an older Grand Lodge of France in 1773, and briefly absorbe ...

, France's largest

Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

organization. He became an attaché to Crépeau until Crépeau's death in 1999, after which Placé left the Radical Party and joined

The Greens The Greens or Greens may refer to: Current political parties *The Greens – The Green Alternative, Austria *Australian Greens, also known as ''The Greens'' * Greens of Andorra * The Greens (Benin) *The Greens (Bulgaria) * Greens of Bosnia and He ...

, which later became

(EELV).

Political career

The

2004 French regional elections 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the H ...

saw Jean-Vincent Placé being elected as a member of the regional council of

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

, on a list of candidates led by

Socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

Jean-Paul Huchon, as the result of an alliance between The Greens and the Socialist Party. Placé was subsequently elected as the head of the Green group within the council. In 2011, under EELV membership, Placé was elected as

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

for the department of Essonne. In 2012, he became the first president of the newly formed Ecologist group in the French Senate. In 2014, Placé publicly criticized the "leftist" direction his party was allegedly taking and lamented it had become "the party of

Romani people {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

and

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

" instead of focusing on environmental issues. Eventually, in 2015, upset by talks of alliance between EELV and the Left Front for the regional elections, Jean-Vincent Placé and

both left EELV and founded their own centre-left, green party, ''Écologistes !'' (later the Ecologist Party). The party then participated in the creation of political group Union des démocrates et des écologistes (UDE) of which Placé became the first president. From 2016 to 2017, he was appointed by then-Prime Minister

Manuel Valls Manuel Carlos Valls Galfetti (born 13August 1962) is a French–Spanish politician who serves as Minister of the Overseas in the Bayrou government since 2024. He served as Prime Minister of France from 2014 until 2016 under president Françoi ...

as "Secretary of State for State Reform and Simplification" in Valls's second government. In order to access government office, Placé stepped down from his positions as senator and president of the Senate's Ecologist group. In 2016, Placé applied for the honorary title of Colonel of the citizen reserve forces within the

13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment The 13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes () or 13e RDP is a special reconnaissance unit of the French Army. It belongs to the French Army Special Forces Command, and therefore to the Special Operations Command (France), Special Operations Comm ...

. In December 2016, when Bernard Cazeneuve was appointed prime minister, Placé retained his position within his

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

as Secretary of State for State Reform and Simplification. In the 2017 Socialist primaries, Jean-Vincent Placé showed support for former prime minister Manuel Valls, who eventually lost the primary to

Benoît Hamon Benoît Hamon (; born 26 June 1967) is a French politician known for his former role within the Socialist Party (PS) and Party of European Socialists (PES) and his political party Génération.s. Hamon joined the Socialist Party in 1988 an ...

. Placé then backed the Socialist candidate Hamon during the

presidential campaign A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referen ...

. Following the formation of Prime Minister

Édouard Philippe Édouard Charles Philippe (; born 28 November 1970) is a French politician serving as Mayor (France), mayor of Le Havre since 2020, previously holding the office from 2010 to 2017. He was Prime Minister of France from 15 May 2017 to 3 July 202 ...

's first government in 2017, Placé was no longer a member of the French government and took back his position within the Senate, this time as a member of the Socialist and Republican group. In September 2017, after being mugged in the streets of Paris, he publicly expressed his desire to put his political career on hold, thus declining to stand in the then-upcoming senatorial elections. When Placé made his announcement, his name was not on any candidate list for the Senate. He remained a member of the regional council of Île-de-France. In April 2018, following issues with

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

and a publicized incident in a Paris nightclub, Placé resigned from his position as president of UDE.

Legal issues

In 2011, during an appearance on television, Placé reacted to then-

UMP UMP may refer to: Science * Ultra metal-poor star, refers to a type of star with extremely low levels of heavier elements * Uniformly most powerful test, in statistical hypothesis testing * Uridine monophosphate, a nucleotide * Utility maximizat ...

member of Parliament

Christian Vanneste Christian Vanneste (born 14 July 1947) is a French politician. He served two terms as a deputy in the French Parliament (2002-2012), representing the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). Career A member of the French Parliament, he was elected ...

's recent comments about

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...

, by calling Vanneste "despicable" and claiming he had a reputation for "

homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...

", "

racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

", "maybe even

antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

" remarks. Vanneste then sued Placé for

defamation Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...

. A Paris court eventually sentenced Placé to a fine and ordered him to pay Vanneste in damages. In 2013, an investigation by newspaper ''

Le Canard enchaîné (; English: "The Chained Duck" or "The Chained Paper", as is French slang meaning "newspaper") is a satirical weekly newspaper in France. Its headquarters is in Paris. Founded in 1915 during World War I, it features investigative journalism ...

'' revealed that Placé owed more than to the region of Île-de-France, mostly in unpaid traffic fines. Placé, who acknowledged his mistake, explained he was "not a man of numbers" and swore to pay his fines. In 2014, he stormed out of a talk show where the topic was brought up again, saying his situation was now resolved. In September 2017, Placé was assaulted in the streets of Paris: the robbers took his cellphone, credit card, and watch. Placé later told the press he was considering putting his political career on hold. On the night between 4 and 5 April 2018, an intoxicated Placé was arrested outside a Paris nightclub by French police and kept into custody for 37 hours. He was charged with " disrespect towards police officers", "racial

insults An insult is an expression, statement, or behavior that is often deliberately disrespectful, offensive, scornful, or derogatory towards an individual or a group. Insults can be intentional or unintentional, and they often aim to belittle, off ...

" and "violent behavior under the influence", and brought to the courts. Placé then resigned from his position as president of UDE. In an interview with ''

Paris Match ''Paris Match'' () is a French-language weekly gossip magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. ''Paris Match'' has been considered "one of the world's best outlets for photojournalism". ...

'', Placé apologized for disorderly intoxication and revealed he had been struggling with

for several months. However, he denied allegations of any sexist or racist behavior. In September 2018, a Paris court found him guilty of "acts of violence" and gave him a fine and a three-month suspended sentence, while dismissing the charge of "racial insults".

Personal life

Although Placé was born in South Korea and spent part of his childhood there, he claims little relation to his birth country and credits his identity to education within the "School of the

rench The Rench is an eastern tributary of the Rhine in the Ortenau in Central Baden, Germany. It rises on the southern edge of the Northern Black Forest at Kniebis near Bad Griesbach im Schwarzwald. The source farthest from the mouth is that of ...

Republic". After being adopted in 1975 by a French family he describes as politically "

Gaullist Gaullism ( ) is a French political stance based on the thought and action of World War II French Resistance leader Charles de Gaulle, who would become the founding President of the Fifth French Republic. De Gaulle withdrew French forces from t ...

", he did not set foot in South Korea again until an official visit in 2011. While there, he said to the local press "France is my country" and reportedly told locals he was unable to speak their language. Placé was previously in a relationship with fellow Green politician

Cécile Duflot Cécile Duflot (; born 1 April 1975) is a French non-governmental organisation ( NGO) leader and former politician. She has been a government minister and political party leader. She was Minister of Territorial Equality and Housing () in the ...

. After the end of what Placé calls a "love story", he began a relationship with another Green politician,

French Parliament The French Parliament (, ) is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of the French Fifth Republic, consisting of the Senate (France), Senate (), and the National Assembly (France), National Assembly (). Each assembly conducts legislative sessi ...

member

Éva Sas Éva Sas (born 13 August 1970) is a French politician from Europe Ecology – The Greens. She was a Member of Parliament from 2012 to 2017, and has been again since 2022. Early life Sas was born in Nice in 1970. Political career She was ...

. Together they had a daughter who was born in November 2013. Placé and Sas separated in 2014.

Authored books

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Placé, Jean-Vincent 1968 births Living people French adoptees French politicians of Korean descent French senators of the Fifth Republic South Korean adoptees Senators of Essonne South Korean emigrants to France Politicians from Seoul Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite University of Caen Normandy alumni Government ministers of France