| Native name | 박지원 |
|---|---|
| Office 1 | Director of the National Intelligence Service |
| President 1 | Moon Jae-in |
| Term start 1 | 29 July 2020 |
| Term end 1 | 11 May 2022 |
| Predecessor 1 | Suh Hoon |
| Office 2 | Floor Leader of the People's Party |
| Term start 2 | 30 May 2016 |
| Term end 2 | 29 December 2016 |
| Predecessor 2 | Position Established |
| Successor 2 | Joo Syung-yong |
| Office 3 | Leader of the People's Party |
| Term start 3 | 15 January 2017 |
| Term end 3 | 10 May 2017 |
| Predecessor 3 | Kim Dong-cheol (Interim) |
| Successor 3 | Joo Seung-yong (Acting) |
| Term start 4 | 29 June 2016 |
| Term end 4 | 5 December 2016 (Interim) |
| Predecessor 4 | Ahn Cheol-soo Chun Jung-bae |
| Successor 4 | Kim Dong-cheol (Interim) |
| Office 5 | Member of the National Assembly |
| Constituency 5 | Haenam-Wando-Jindo |
| Term start 5 | 30 May 2024 |
| Predecessor 5 | Yoon Jae-kab |
| Constituency 6 | Mokpo |
| Term start 6 | 30 May 2008 |
| Term end 6 | 29 May 2020 |
| Predecessor 6 | Lee Sang-yeol |
| Successor 6 | Kim Won-i |
| Constituency 7 | Proportional Representation |
| Term start 7 | 30 May 1992 |
| Term end 7 | 30 August 1995 |
| Office 8 | Chief Presidential Secretary |
| President 8 | Kim Dae-jung |
| Term start 8 | 15 April 2002 |
| Term end 8 | 24 February 2003 |
| Predecessor 8 | Jeon Yun-churl |
| Successor 8 | Moon Hee-sang |
| Office 9 | Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
| Term start 9 | 23 May 1999 |
| Term end 9 | 19 September 2000 |
| Predecessor 9 | Shin Nak-gyun |
| Successor 9 | Kim Han-gil |
| Birth date | 5 June 1942 (age 84) |
| Birth place | Jindo, Zenranan Province, Korea, Empire of Japan |
| Party | Democratic Party of Korea (2022~ ) |
| Other party | Minsaeng Party (2020) Democracy and Peace (2018–2019) People's (2016–2018) Independent (2016) NPAD (2014–2016) |
| Alma mater | Dankook University |
| Website | www.jwp615.com |
| Hangul | %박지원 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 朴智源 |
Park Jie-won (Korean: 박지원; born 5 June 1942) is a South Korean politician[1] who served as Director of the National Intelligence Service. He was the chief presidential secretary to President Kim Dae-jung,[2] and served as the Minister of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and coined the term "Esports"[3] during his administration. On 9 April 2008, he was elected as a member of 18th National Assembly of South Korea for Mokpo as an independent. After being elected, he returned to the Democratic Party. In May 2012, he became the floor leader for the Democratic United Party.[1]
In 2018, he declared that he would leave People's Party and joined the Party for Democracy and Peace.[4]
Early life and education
Park Jie-won attended Moontae High School in Mokpo and graduated in 1960. Park studied business in Dankook University and graduated in 1969. Park joined Lucky Goldstar (now LG) in 1970.[5][unreliable source?]
Life in the United States
Park Jie-won immigrated to the United States in 1972,[6][unreliable source?] and became popular among the expat Korean community. He was elected to become the 16th President of the Korean American Association of Greater New York[7] and subsequently became the 4th President of the Federation of Korean Associations, USA.[8]
Scandal
Park Jie-won was charged with abusing his power and violating domestic laws on foreign exchange trade and inter-Korean cooperation affairs while orchestrating covert money transfers by Hyundai to North Korea. He played a pivotal role in arranging the first Inter-Korean summit between South and North Korean leader in June 2000. Hyundai transferred $500 million to the North just months before the summit, triggering criticism that S.Korean Government paid for the summit. Hyundai claimed the money was a payment for exclusive business rights in electric power facilities, communication lines, an industrial park, cross-border roads and railway lines in North Korea.[9] In May 2006, he was sentenced to three years in prison.[contradictory] Park was released in February 2007, and subsequently pardoned in December 2007,[10] which enabled him to run for a legislative election in April 2008. He was defeated in the 2020 election and lost his seat.[11]
Director of the National Intelligence Service
On 3 July 2020, Park was nominated the Director of the National Intelligence Service.[12] He was finally appointed to the position on 28 July.[13] In December 2020, the Moon administration subsequently passed a reform bill to remove the NIS's involvement in domestic intelligence and activities and transferring of such powers to the National Police Agency. Park, on behalf of the NIS, proclaimed that the agency would never meddle in domestic politics again.[14] He was accused of involvement in the coverup of the 2020 murder of a South Korean fisheries official by North Korean soldiers near the Northern Limit Line, but was acquitted in 2025.[15]
See also
References
- ^ Park Dae-ro (박대로) (14 May 2012). "ko:'돌아온' 민주당 원내대표 박지원, 권한만큼 책임도 커졌다" [Park Jie-won returned as the floor leader of DUP with more responsibilities.] (in Korean). Newsis. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
- ^ "World Briefing Asia: South Korea, Summit Meeting Charges". New York Times. 26 June 2003. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
- ^ Jin, Dal-yong (19 June 2020). "Historiography of Korean Esports: Perspectives on Spectatorship.". International Journal of Communication. 14: 19. ISSN 1932-8036. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ "ko:국민의당 통합 반대파, 신당 당명 '민주평화당'…박지원 "미래로 간다""
- ^ Kim Dahng (김당) (4 April 2004). "ko:'피고인' 박지원의 의안(義眼)과 눈물" [Defendant Park Jie-won's Artificial Eye and Tears] (in Korean). OhMyNews. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ Kim Dahng (김당) (4 April 2004). "ko:'피고인' 박지원의 의안(義眼)과 눈물" [Defendant Park Jie-won's Artificial Eye and Tear] (in Korean). OhMyNews. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ "List of Former Presidents". Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ "List of Former Presidents". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ "Park Jie-won gets leave from jail for treatment". Korea JoongAng Daily. 6 November 2006. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ Chang Min-soo (장민수) (30 December 2007). "ko:노 대통령, 내일 60여 명 사면 단행" [President Roh pardoned 60 people] (in Korean). YTN. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
- ^ Veteran politicians fail to survive general election The Korea Times
- ^ "ko:[속보] 국정원장 박지원·안보실장 서훈·통일장관 이인영 내정". 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "ko:문대통령, 박지원 국정원장 임명…내일부터 임기(종합)". 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ NIS chief vows never to meddle in domestic politics Yonhap News Agency
- ^ "(LEAD) Ex-top security officials acquitted over alleged cover-up of 2020 border killing by N. Korea". Yonhap. 26 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
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