The muscular physique of Jeong Seong-ho (64), who has been nominated as the first Minister candidate of the Lee Jae-myung government and a five-term member of the Democratic Party of Korea, has become a topic of discussion in online communities.
On the 30th, attention is being drawn online to a photo of the muscles he revealed during his appearance on Channel A's "National Assembly Anchors" on the 17th of last month in the midst of the presidential election crisis.
During the broadcast, Jeong said, "When I was at Seoul National University, I was unusually the weightlifting team captain for a law school graduate," and "I did a lot of weight training."
The host, who touched Jeong's arm muscles, expressed surprise, saying, "They are as thick as my thighs." Following this, a subtitle appeared on the screen asking, 'Is the muscle power of a five-term member?' along with a photo of Jeong showing off his arm muscles.
Regarding what led him to start exercising, Jeong explained, "In 1981, when I entered college, it was very chaotic," adding, "As an activist, I went out every day to demonstrate, and I thought I needed physical strength to protest." He revealed, "I was fascinated by the motto 'Primitive strength in the heart of modernity' written next to the weightlifting team's sign and joined the team."
When asked by the host if there is someone he wants to hit with a 'honey punch', Jeong named Kweon Seong-dong, who was the floor leader of the People Power Party. He mentioned, "(During the presidential election) I know him as a senior and junior with Lee Jae-myung, both of us from the same law school, but he speaks harshly and goes too far as soon as he opens his mouth."
When Jeong was asked, 'Have you ever fought with Lee Jae-myung?', he replied, 'I normally don't fight,' adding, 'I have known the candidate as an elder brother and younger brother for decades.' President Lee is three years younger than Jeong.
He said, 'The candidate still calls me older brother, and I treat him with almost deference.' He added, 'I've been warned by people around me because I keep mentioning Lee Jae-myung, Lee Jae-myung, so I've been trying to treat him with respect lately.'
Jeong is a member of the '7-person group', a core meeting of pro-Lee Jae-myung members. He met President Lee in 1987 as a fellow 18th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute and has maintained a relationship for 38 years. He supported Lee since the time when he was a non-mainstream figure in the party and also joined and supported the presidential campaign in 2017 and last year. Since August of last year, he has been serving as the chairperson of the party's talent recruitment committee.
Right after being nominated as Minister of Justice on the 29th, Jeong wrote on his Facebook, "Heavy responsibility begins with the serious reality," and added, "I will do my best to restore democracy and the rule of law that collapsed due to the state of emergency on Dec. 3 last winter and fulfill the historical mission of normalizing power institutions."
He added, "I will take the lead in implementing fair and warm legal administration so that the law can fulfill its original function as a shield for the people and the weak," and "I will approach the confirmation hearing with a sincere and humble attitude."