"My Wife Is Older... She Was Like Wonder Woman" Park Hongkeun Endured Miscarriage and Hardship Together, Calls Her "The Greatest Foundation of My Life" [Current Affairs Show][Spouse Profiles]②

Married at Kyung Hee University in 1999 while working as a Seoul civil servant
Met his wife Mikyung Jang during youth activities at the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice
"Sorry that we've never traveled abroad together"

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily 'So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show' (Monday to Friday, 4-5 PM)

■ Host: Political Specialist So Jongseop ■ Director: Producer Park Sumin

Editor's NoteThe year of the June 3 local elections has begun. Candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties are announcing their bids. There is growing interest not only in who the candidates are and what policies they propose, but also in who their spouses are. 'So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show' is launching a new series, 'Spouse Profiles,' to explore the spouses of candidates (including those expected to run). ①Moon Hyejeong (spouse of Seongdong District Mayor Jeong Wonoh) ②Jang Mikyung (spouse of Representative Park Hongkeun)

Among the candidates for the Democratic Party of Korea's Seoul mayoral primary, Representative Park Hongkeun (Jungnang-gu B), who is serving his fourth term, was the first to declare his candidacy. On November 26 last year, in front of Seoul City Hall, he announced his bid, saying, "Seoul has reached its limits in all areas, including housing, transportation, care, artificial intelligence (AI), safety, and inequality. Change in Seoul is only possible in partnership with the Lee Jaemyung administration." Representative Park pledged to expand the proportion of public housing tailored to young people and newlyweds, and to make village buses and the Ttareungi public bike service free of charge.

He was born in 1969 as the fifth of six children in Bongdeok-ri, Dodeok-myeon, Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do. His father, who graduated from middle school, served as the village head. After graduating from Dodeok Elementary and Doyang Middle School in Goheung, he attended Hyocheon High School in Suncheon. In 1988, he entered Kyung Hee University as a Korean Language and Literature major, serving as president of the College of Liberal Arts student council and as president of the university's student council. He also served as acting chair of the National Council of Student Representatives. After graduation, he was active in organizations such as the Korean Youth Federation. He worked as an aide to Assemblywoman Kim Sanghee and as a deputy spokesperson for the Democratic Party. From 1999 to June 2000, he also worked as a civil servant at the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

There is one daughter between Representative Hongkeun Park and his spouse Mikyung Jang. Photo by Representative Hongkeun Park

When Representative Park began his political career as spokesperson for the United New Democratic Party in 2007, it was his spouse, Jang Mikyung, who laid the foundation for him. In 2001, Ms. Jang took out loans to buy a house and then used it as collateral to secure additional funds for the election campaign. In the 19th general election in 2012, he defeated candidate Yang Jeongcheol in the primary to become the Democratic United Party candidate for Jungnang B in Seoul, and then won against Saenuri Party candidate Kang Dongho, becoming a member of the National Assembly. Since then, he has been elected four consecutive times in Jungnang-gu B.

During the 2022 presidential election, Representative Park was the first among the three-term lawmakers in Seoul to declare support for candidate Lee Jaemyung. Perhaps as a result, he served as chief of staff to the candidate, and later as floor leader when President Lee was party leader. After the Lee Jaemyung administration was inaugurated, Park served as head of the planning division of the National Policy Planning Committee, where he developed the national policy roadmap for five years.

Representative Hongkeun Park describes his wife Mikyung Jang as "like Wonder Woman." Photo by Representative Hongkeun Park

Representative Park met his spouse, Jang Mikyung, while working as a civil servant at Seoul Metropolitan Government, during which time Ms. Jang was active in the youth chapter of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice. The two were married at the Crown Hall of Kyung Hee University in late October 1999. In his book, "Sincerity Changes and Truth Wins," Representative Park recalled, "The early days of our marriage were the hardest, as my wife suffered a miscarriage and I was not earning much money due to my involvement in civic activism." He added, "My wife was like Wonder Woman. While working at her job, she studied social welfare, took care of her ailing mother, raised our newborn daughter, volunteered at church, and played five roles at once. Thanks to my wife, I am who I am today. She is the greatest foundation of my life." Representative Park expressed regret, saying, "My wife is not good at expressing herself. We have one daughter, but the three of us, or even just my wife and I, have never traveled abroad together." Ms. Jang, who is originally from Chungcheongbuk-do, was active in the labor union movement for about ten years before marriage.

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Before becoming a member of the National Assembly, Representative Park was responsible for dishwashing, recycling, and house cleaning. Although he is now too busy to do so, there is one thing he never fails to do on Sunday nights, even after becoming a lawmaker: ironing. While he sends his dress shirts to the cleaners, he still irons his suit pants and other items himself.