Cho Myoung-gyon | |
---|---|
조명균 | |
Minister of Unification | |
In office 3 July 2017 – 8 April 2019 | |
President | Moon Jae-in |
Prime Minister | Lee Nak-yeon |
Preceded by | Hong Yong-pyo |
Succeeded by | Kim Yeon-chul |
Personal details | |
Born | Uijeongbu, South Korea | 17 November 1957
Political party | independent |
Alma mater | Sungkyunkwan University Seoul National University |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Cho Myoung-gyon (Korean: 조명균; Hanja: 趙明均; born 17 November 1957) is a South Korean politician previously served as President Moon Jae-in's first Minister of Unification.
After passing the state exam in 1979, Cho spent most of his career at the Ministry of Unification.[1] He actively participated in multiple projects and negotiations with Pyongyang which resulted in enhanced Inter-Korean relations during Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations commended by then-Minister Jeong Se-hyun.[2][unreliable source?] He left public service upon the beginning of the new administration in 2008. Since then he completely distanced himself from politics before being appointed as Minister in 2017.[3]
During his term as Minister, Inter-Korean relations dramatically improved which was deteriorated after Kim and Roh administrations.
He holds two degrees - a bachelor's in statistics from Sungkyunkwan University and a master's in administration from Seoul National University.[4]