Chung Hong-won


Chung Hong-won is a former Prime Minister of South Korea. He served from 26 February 2013 to 16 February 2015.

Early life and education

Chung graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Sungkyunkwan University. After passing the Judicial Examination, he became a prosecutor.

Career

Chung became known after solving several high-profile cases, such as the Lee-Chang scandal, in which relatives of President Chun Doo-hwan were prosecuted, and the Walker Hill Casino scandal.
Chung resigned from his job as a prosecutor in 2003 and then served the president of the :ko:법무연수원|Institute of Justice. From 2004 to 2006, he served as the Standing Commissioner of the Republic of Korea National Election Commission. From 2008 to 2011, he served as the president of :ko:대한법률구조공단|Korea Legal Aid Corporation.
Before the 2012 general election, he entered the Saenuri Party. On 8 February 2013, he was nominated as the first Prime Minister of President-elect Park Geun-hye's government. On 26 February 2013, after the National Assembly of South Korea confirmed his nomination, he was formally sworn in. On 27 April 2014, he tendered his prime ministership resignation to the president following the Sinking of the MV Sewol on 16 April 2014, during which more than 300 people were killed. President Park accepted the resignation in principle, but Chung continued to lead the Cabinet after the search and rescue operations of the Sewol came to an end. Few were nominated to replace Chung, including Ahn Dae-hee, but none of them were able to replace him.
Chung was formally replaced as prime minister on 16 February 2015.