Jung Seong-ho, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. /Courtesy of News1

President Lee Jae-myung nominated Jeong Seong-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea as the first Minister of Justice candidate for the new government on the 29th.

Candidate Jeong is said to have a deep connection with President Lee, to the extent that he is referred to as the 'leader of the pro-Lee faction.' Both candidate Jeong and President Lee are alumni of the 18th Judicial Research and Training Institute and have known each other for 38 years. Candidate Jeong is known to have done a lot behind the scenes to ensure President Lee's election since the 2017 presidential election.

However, there are evaluations that he is different from the hardline pro-Lee faction. For instance, candidate Jeong stated in January that he believes 'impeachment should not be pursued due to the confusion in state affairs' when the Democratic Party was pushing for the impeachment of then Acting President Choi Sang-mok. For this reason, candidate Jeong is also regarded as one of the few people who can offer frank advice to President Lee.

At the same time, regarding the currently imprisoned former leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, Cho Kuk, candidate Jeong argued that 'the sentences received by former leader Cho and his family were too imbalanced and excessive,' claiming that a pardon and restoration are necessary.

Candidate Jeong is known as a representative parliamentarian in the Democratic Party who also interacts with members of the People Power Party. He is regarded as a person possessing both skill and character.

Born in 1961 in Yanggu, Gangwon Province, candidate Jeong graduated from the Department of Law at Seoul National University and obtained a master's degree in law from Daijin University. He passed the 28th bar exam and completed the 18th Judicial Research and Training Institute.

Candidate Jeong began his lawyer career in the Uijeongbu area and has worked with the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, among others, and founded the Northern Gyeonggi Environmental Movement Alliance, pursuing the path of a human rights and labor lawyer. He entered politics starting from participating in the founding of the New Millennium Democratic Party in 2000.

Candidate Jeong became a first-term lawmaker by running as a candidate for the Open Uri Party in the 17th general elections held in 2004 for the Yangju-Dongducheon constituency in Gyeonggi Province. He was consecutively elected in the 19th to 22nd general elections, becoming the first five-term commissioner from the Yangju constituency. During his time as a lawmaker, he served as a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and held chairperson positions on the Special Committee on Budget & Accounts and the Strategy and Finance Committee.

▲ Born in Yanggu, Gangwon (64 years old) ▲ Graduated from Daeshin High School in Seoul ▲ Graduated from the Department of Law at Seoul National University ▲ Passed the 28th bar exam ▲ Co-founder of the Northern Gyeonggi Environmental Movement Alliance ▲ Senior spokesperson for the Democratic United Party ▲ Deputy floor leader of the Democratic Party from 2013 to 2014 ▲ Secretary of the National Assembly Special Committee on Military Human Rights Improvements and Military Culture Reform ▲ Head of the Livelihood Headquarters of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy in 2014 ▲ Central Committee nomination management chairperson of the Democratic Party in 2018 ▲ Chairperson of the Strategy and Finance Committee of the National Assembly ▲ Chairperson of the Judiciary Reform Special Committee of the National Assembly ▲ Chairperson of the Special Committee on Budget & Accounts of the National Assembly ▲ Current chairperson of the Talent Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea ▲ National Assembly member for the 17th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd terms.