29 Facts About Park Heong-joon

Park Heong-joon is a South Korean journalist, educator, and politician who has served as the mayor of Busan since 2021.

Park Heong-joon served as the Senior Secretary to the President for Political Affairs from 2009 to 2010 under President Lee Myung-bak.

Park Heong-joon successfully defeated the Democratic candidate Kim Young-choon by a large margin.

Park Heong-joon was born in Choryang-dong, East District, Busan, in 1960.

Park Heong-joon's father was a doctor, whom he described as "an iron hand in a velvet glove".

Park Heong-joon was educated at Daeil High School and Korea University.

Park Heong-joon then continued postgraduate studies and following the graduation, he was hired at JoongAng Ilbo in 1983 and worked for 2 years.

In 1993, Park Heong-joon was hired by Park Heong-joon Se-il, who was later appointed the Senior Secretary to the President for Policy Planning to the then President Kim Young-sam, to write and help the government's projects and policies.

Park Heong-joon completed The Plan and Strategy of Globalisation announced by the President Kim.

Park Heong-joon was an emcee for the debate for the 1997 and the 2002 presidential elections.

Park Heong-joon joined the main opposition Grand National Party instead of the de facto ruling Uri Party.

Park Heong-joon was nominated as the GNP candidate for Suyeong in the 2004 election and competed against the ruling candidate Huh Jin-ho.

Park Heong-joon emphasised that South Korea needs a good Machiavellist, which could be acquired via Lee.

Park Heong-joon subsequently left the party and contested as an independent candidate.

Park Heong-joon received 24,630 votes and was again defeated by Yoo.

On 1 September 2014, Park Heong-joon was appointed the new Secretary-General of the National Assembly.

On 18 July 2017, at Battle of Tongues, Park Heong-joon harshly accused the main opposition Liberty Korea Party for not learning from its past mistakes such as the 2016 political scandal.

Park Heong-joon added that the party is only targeting far-right and elderly voters.

On 9 January 2020, Park Heong-joon was appointed the Chairman of the Advance Committee for Innovation and Unity, an organisation seeking the unity of centrist and conservative parties including the then Liberty Korea Party and the New Conservative Party.

On 9 March, prior to the 2020 election, Park Heong-joon applied to nominate himself as a candidate for the Future Korea Party, the satellite party to the UFP.

Park Heong-joon cited that the party lost about 30 seats due to hate speeches and defamatory remarks of its several candidates.

On 12 March 2021, Park Heong-joon posted on his Facebook that he had quit being a professor of Dong-a University where he had been working from 1 September 1991.

Park Heong-joon indicated that he would permanently quit as a scholar but become a full-time politician.

Park Heong-joon expressed his gratitude to his supporters after he was confirmed to be elected.

Park Heong-joon took the oath of office at 11:00 KST 8 April 2021 after he received a certificate of election from the Busan Metropolitan City Election Commission.

Park Heong-joon was re-elected in the 8th local elections, and will serve his second term as mayor until 30 June 2026.

Park Heong-joon criticised South Korean leftists as "being too nationalistic in front of reunification issues".

Park Heong-joon calls the Moon Jae-in government's policy to increase the minimum wage to 10,000 won as a "populist policy".

Park Heong-joon has been married to Cho Hyun, a businesswoman who has been operating Cho Hyun Gallery since 1990.