"He Could Probably Lift 500 kg in the Big Three"... Netizens Amazed by Jeong Seongho's Muscles in His 60s

Served as Captain of the SNU Weightlifting Team
Picked Kwon Seongdong as the Person He'd Like to Playfully Hit on the Head

The nomination of Jeong Seongho, a five-term lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, as the first Minister of Justice under the Lee Jaemyung administration has sparked online buzz about his muscular physique and abs, even in his 60s. On June 29, an online community saw renewed interest from netizens as a muscle photo revealed by Representative Jeong last month during an interview on Channel A's 'National Assembly Anchors' was shared again.

On the 30th, an online community saw renewed interest from netizens as a muscle photo revealed by Representative Jung last month during an interview on Channel A's 'National Assembly Anchors' was shared again.

During the broadcast, Representative Jeong said, "When I was in college, it was highly unusual for a law student, but I served as the head of the SNU weightlifting team," adding, "I did a lot of weight training." He continued, "I entered university in 1981, and at that time, the campus was very chaotic. I participated in protests every day, and I thought I needed physical strength to do so. I was drawn to the slogan next to the SNU weightlifting team's sign, which read, 'Primitive power in the heart of modernity,' and that's what led me to join the team."

On the 30th, an online community saw renewed interest from netizens as a muscle photo revealed by Representative Jung last month during an interview on Channel A's 'National Assembly Anchors' was shared again.

When asked by the host if there was anyone he wanted to playfully hit on the head, Representative Jeong named Kwon Seongdong of the People Power Party, saying, "I'd like to hit him about three times," and added, "He and I are both alumni of Chung-Ang University's law school and passed the bar exam, and we used to know each other well. But now, whenever he opens his mouth, he speaks harshly. It's too much." Upon seeing Jeong's muscles, netizens responded with comments such as, "He could probably lift a combined 500 kg in the big three (deadlift, squat, and bench press)," "I'm curious who would lift more weight between him and Kim Jaeseop of the People Power Party," "Is this why he's called a former 'student activist'?" and "It's amazing to see such physique in his 60s."

Meanwhile, Representative Jeong was born in 1961 in Yanggu, Gangwon Province. After finishing elementary school, he moved to Seoul, where he graduated from Dankook Middle School, Daeshin High School, and Seoul National University's law school. He was involved in student activism during his university years. Later, he passed the 28th bar exam and, as a lawyer, was active in organizations such as Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun). In 2000, he entered politics as a deputy spokesperson for the Millennium Democratic Party.

Jeong Seongho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the National Assembly on the 17th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

In the 2004 17th general election, he ran as a candidate for the Uri Party in Dongducheon and Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, and was elected. He mainly served on the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and chaired the Special Committee on Judicial Reform several times. Although he lost in the 2008 general election, he was subsequently elected in the 19th through 22nd National Assembly elections. Representative Jeong met President Lee Jaemyung during his training at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and they have maintained a '38-year relationship' ever since.