Chin Young

Chin Young (Hangul: 진영; Hanja: 陳永; born 23 October 1950) is a South Korean politician in the liberal Minjoo Party of Korea, and a member of the National Assembly representing Yongsan, Seoul. He was formerly a member of the conservative Saenuri Party, and served as the first Minister of Health and Welfare in the Park Geun-hye administration from March to September 2013. Having previously been Park's chief secretary, he was considered a key ally of hers at the time, and advocated an expansion of government welfare spending.^[1] He resigned six months after his appointment due to the administration's refusal to fulfil an election pledge to provide an additional monthly allowance for elderly citizens.^[2][3] Later, in May 2014, Chin voiced his disapproval that he had not been allowed "to leave quietly".^[4]

In March 2016, Chin was one of a number of Saenuri heavyweights who were denied party nominations for the April 13 parliamentary election.^[5] He left the party in response, and joined the opposition Minjoo Party.^[6] At a press conference with Minjoo leader Kim Chong-in announcing his defection, Chin stated that he "cherished true party politics, not party factionalism masterminded by a certain person", and that he had joined the Minjoo Party to "fight against authoritarianism to restore democracy".^[7] His comment was interpreted as an attack on Park Geun-hye.^[7] In the event, Chin was re-elected in Yongsan, defeating Saenuri challenger Hwang Chun-ja.^[8]

Chin worked in law prior to his entry into politics. He studied law as an undergraduate at Seoul National University, graduating in 1975, and attained a masters from the University of Washington School of Law in 1984. He served as a judge on the Seoul Southern District Court from 1980 to 1981, and worked as a private lawyer from 1981 to 2007.^[9]

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