Park Hyung-jun Resigns from Dong-A University Professorship... "A New Start as a Full-Time Politician"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Park Hyung-jun, the People Power Party candidate for mayor of Busan, announced on the 12th that he has resigned from his professorship at Dong-A University. Despite his long political career, Park, who was known as a polyprofessor (‘Politics + Professor’), has chosen the path of a full-time politician with this resignation.

Park Hyung-jun, preliminary candidate for Busan mayor from the People Power Party. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the same day, Park said, "The day before yesterday, I left Dong-A University, where I had been for the past 30 years," adding, "I have permanently abandoned the path of a scholar and am making a new start as a full-time politician." He reflected, "Researching as a scholar and teaching as a professor have been the foundation of my life. Although I often balanced public service with academia over the past 30 years, it was precisely this identity as a scholar and professor that shaped me into the politician I am today."

He continued, "I am often called a rational and moderate politician who values the virtue of moderation, but how could that be possible without a life of constant study and reflection? Now that I am about to cut off an important root of mine, my feelings are mixed," he said.

As Park Hyung-jun the sociologist resigned from his professorship, he shared words he wants to give to Park Hyung-jun the politician, citing Max Weber’s three essential virtues for political leaders: passion, responsibility, and balance. He stated, "A political leader must burn with passion that can lift people up even if the earth collapses tomorrow. Once a promise is made, it must be kept no matter what. And for any reason, there must be no extreme bias that endangers the entire nation."

Earlier, on the 5th, the Professors and Researchers Association for Democratization of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (hereafter Min-gyo-hyeop) and some professors at Dong-A University raised concerns about Park’s polyprofessor issue. Park had held positions such as member of the National Assembly, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Blue House, and Secretary-General of the National Assembly Secretariat while maintaining his professorship at Dong-A University.