South Korean politician (born 1943)
Suh Chung-won
In office Constituency Hwaseong AIn office Preceded by Go Hui-seon Constituency Hwaseong A In office Constituency Dongjak-gu AIn office Constituency Dongjak-gu AIn office Constituency Dongjak-gu A In office Constituency Dongjak-gu A In office Constituency Seoul 11th (Dongjak-gu )In office [1] Preceded by Position established In office Preceded by (Served with Lee Gyu-taek until 30 March 2010) Succeeded by Position abolished In office Preceded by Seo Jung-hwa Succeeded by Park Hee-tae
Born (1943-04-03 ) April 3, 1943 (age 80) South Chungcheong Province , Japanese Korea Political party Our Republican Party Spouse Lee Seon-hwa (m. 1969) Children 2 Alma mater Chungang University Hangul Hanja Revised Romanization Seo Cheong-weon McCune–Reischauer Suh Chung-won
Suh Chung-won (Korean : 서청원 Hanja : 徐淸源 National Assembly for eight terms (1981–1985, 1988–2004, 2013–2020). He also served as floor leader of the Our Republican Party . Suh has been in the National Assembly for 32 years, being the second most-elected member.[2]
Early life and education
Suh was born in South Chungcheong Province , Japanese Korea on April 3, 1943. He graduated from Chungang University with a degree in political science . He actively took part in the June 3 Resistance Movement in 1964. He served in South Korea 's mandatory military conscription from December 1966 to October 1969; he served for 34 months in the South Korean military . After serving his time in the military, Suh worked as a reporter for the Chosun Ilbo until 1980. During his time as a reporter, he reported from the front lines of the Gwangju Uprising in 1980.
Political career
Representative of Dongjak-gu (1981–2004)
Suh ran for the Seoul 11th electoral district (now Dongjak-gu A) as a member of the Democratic Korea Party in the 1981 South Korean legislative election . He was elected along with Cho Jong-ho of the ruling Democratic Justice Party . He ran for the same electoral district in 1985, however he wasn't elected.[3]
Suh ran for the Dongjak-gu A electoral district as a member of the Reunification Democratic Party in 1988 and was elected. Since his election in 1988, Suh continuously won until 2004.[4] 2004 South Korean legislative election and 2008 South Korean legislative election due to him receiving illegal funds for his campaign previously.[5]
Alignment with Park Geun-hye (2007–present)
He supported Park Geun-hye becoming the presidential nominee of the Grand National Party national convention in 2007, however Lee Myung-bak was nominated. As a result, Suh created the Future Hope Alliance ; a solely pro-Park Geun-hye party in 2010 as his relations with pro-Lee Myung-bak members of the Grand National Party deteriorated.[6]
Later, the Future Hope Alliance was absorbed back into the Saenuri Party (formerly Grand National Party) in 2012.
Suh ran for the Hwaseong A electoral district during by-elections in 2013 and was elected. Suh served as acting Speaker of the National Assembly until Chung Sye-kyun was elected to the position.[7]
After the impeachment of Park Geun-hye in 2017, he remained pro-Park Geun-hye which made him unpopular with the anti-Park Geun-hye faction of Saenuri Party . He regularly participates in pro-Park rallies along with Cho Won-jin .[8]
He joined the Liberty Republican Party on March 21, 2020 and became the Floor Leader of the party. He plans to run in the upcoming 2020 South Korean legislative election .[9]
Personal life
Suh married his wife Lee Seon-hwa in 1969. Together they have a son and a daughter.
