[22nd Rising Star] ③ 'Political Hub' Jongno's Elected Representative Gwak Sang-eon "I Will Not Use Roh's Authority or Position"

'No Muhyeon Sawi' Recaptures Father-in-Law's District After 24 Years
Promises to "Change Electricity Bill Laws" in the 22nd National Assembly

Editor's NoteThere are 131 first-term lawmakers entering the 22nd National Assembly. This is the lowest number since the 16th National Assembly in 2000, which had 112. Amid a political landscape where the ruling party is in the minority, the public expects these lawmakers to lead politics of dialogue and compromise and deliver tangible results. We introduce 22 elected officials who are expected to bring a fresh breeze to the 22nd National Assembly. ① Park Ji-hye ② Go Dong-jin ③ Kwak Sang-eon

"The residents of Jongno chose me to restore politics to its rightful place."

Kwak Sang-eon, elected member of the Democratic Party representing Jongno District, Seoul (age 52), won in the "political first district." As the son-in-law of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, it also means he inherited the constituency where his father-in-law served as a lawmaker 24 years ago in 2000. Jongno District has produced three former presidents?Yun Bo-seon, Roh Moo-hyun, and Lee Myung-bak?and is a politically symbolic area where former Prime Ministers Chung Sye-kyun and Lee Nak-yon have also served.

On the morning of the 2nd, Asia Economy visited Kwak’s office located in Changsin-dong, Jongno District, Seoul. The office was filled with staff who helped during the general election and a pet cat named "Nara." Kwak invited the reporter to pet "Nara." He is a father of three children?two daughters and one son. Until just before the interview, he was working while looking at a monitor, but soon sat down with a smiling face and engaged in conversation for about an hour and a half.

When asked about his "entry into politics," Kwak replied, "It was a choice condensed by life." He said, "It’s hard to explain the reason for entering politics in just one word," but added, "It has been 20 years since my name became known in the political arena." In fact, he has lived a life not unrelated to politics, including filing a lawsuit for alimony against former President Park Geun-hye in 2016. He then mentioned his "dream." "My personal dream is to become someone who understands the ways of the world more and applies that in daily life, and socially, to faithfully fulfill the roles given to me and to be able to guide those roles," he said. This is also connected to his idea of public interest. On that day, he said, "Public interest is not only about doing specific things, but also about caring more for others and serving the community in the work I am currently entrusted with."

Elected candidate Gwak Sang-eon is seen joyfully wearing a flower necklace after his victory was confirmed at his election office set up in Changsin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, in the early morning of the 11th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding his relationship with his wife, Roh Jung-yeon, daughter of former President Roh, he said, "A neighborhood lady introduced me to my daughter’s friend," and "She must have noticed me studying every day because she contacted me when I passed the bar exam." He added, "We met at the Starbucks right next to the house where the person I was set up with lived. That day, I tried Americano for the first time." He said, "(My wife) probably intended to have just a cup of coffee and go home quickly at the request of her friend’s mother, but somehow we ended up having dinner and a beer." He said they decided to marry two months later. When asked what matched so well, he said shyly, "No, anyway, that’s how we got married. We have three kids, and time flies."

About his relationship with former President Roh, he said, "Honestly, I had a stronger perception of him as the president rather than a personal relationship," and "When I got married, he was the president-elect and soon took office as president." He said he felt a sense of duty not to influence his father-in-law in any way. "Many people try to get close to those in power and say a word or two, but I didn’t do that," he said. "In my early 30s, I thought it would be disrespectful to the people if I influenced the president’s decisions with a few words." He added, "I never used his authority or position, and I still don’t. However, as an observer, I was able to see up close what emotions influenced certain decisions."

Elected candidate Gwak Sang-eon posted on Facebook on the 14th of last month that he paid respects at the grave of his father-in-law, the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, located in Bongha Village, Jinyeong-eup, Gimhae City, Gyeongnam.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In the 22nd National Assembly, he expressed his ambition to prevent citizens from paying electricity bills unfairly. He has been involved in lawsuits related to electricity bills nationwide against Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) for 10 years. He said he had a hearing at Jeonju District Court the day before the interview on the 1st. He believes that the progressive tax applied to residential electricity distorts electricity charges and plans to work on revising related laws in the National Assembly. Kwak emphasized, "KEPCO is the only company in Korea that simultaneously generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity," and "We must not take money from the people’s wallets using electricity, which is the foundation of survival."

Kwak was born in Seoul in 1971, graduated from Shinmok High School and Seoul National University with a degree in International Economics, and attended New York University School of Law and Seoul National University Graduate School of Law. He said he found solace in studying, often spending more time in study rooms than at home due to his parents’ poor relationship. Relatives advised him to enter a technical high school to find a job quickly and earn money, but he enrolled in a humanities high school, received scholarships, and occasionally met helpful people who supported his studies. At age 30, he passed the 43rd bar exam and completed the 33rd Judicial Research and Training Institute before working as a lawyer. In a book he wrote, he reflected, "I did not grow up in an environment where I could study for a long time, but strangely, I attended many schools."