Jung Eunkyung's Eldest Son Works as AI Researcher
Receives Over 78 Million Won in the First Half of the Year
It has been revealed that the son of Health and Welfare Minister nominee Jung Eunkyung (age 60) earns a higher annual salary than his mother, who is a physician, drawing public attention to his profession.
According to confirmation hearing documents submitted to the National Assembly on the 8th, Jung's eldest son, identified as Mr. A (age 32), is currently working as an artificial intelligence (AI) researcher at the management development institute of a major domestic conglomerate. He graduated from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and completed his mandatory military service as a specialized research personnel at the same institution.
Health and Welfare Minister nominee Jung Eunkyung is answering questions from reporters as she arrives at the confirmation hearing preparation office set up on Namdaemunro, Jung-gu, Seoul on the 30th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News.
In the first half of this year, Mr. A received a total of 78.39 million won, consisting of 32.7 million won in salary and 45.69 million won in bonuses. This amount exceeds the 75.76 million won received during the same period by nominee Jung, who is a family medicine specialist and a graduate of Seoul National University College of Medicine. Jung has been serving as a professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine since September 2023. In other words, the son, an AI researcher with an engineering background, earned more in the first half of the year than his mother, who is a medical school professor.
Jung's spouse (age 63) is also a family medicine specialist who graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine. He is currently working as a department head at a hospital in Incheon. According to the documents, his total income from the hospital was 189.42 million won last year and 181.01 million won in 2023. While working at a nursing hospital in Changnyeong, Gyeongnam in 2022, he earned 125.1 million won.
The confirmation hearing documents also disclosed the assets of the two sons. The eldest, Mr. A, reported owning a 2024 Santa Fe Hybrid vehicle (valued at 43.44 million won), deposits totaling 327.44 million won, and stocks worth 62.51 million won. The younger son, Mr. B (age 31), holds deposits of 184.43 million won and stocks valued at 62.49 million won. Like Mr. A, Mr. B is also a science and engineering major, having graduated from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH).
The confirmation hearing for nominee Jung is scheduled to be held on the 18th.
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