Ruling party recruits N.K. defector engineer, 4 other figures ahead of general elections

▲ Rep. Lee Chul-gyu, the head of recruitment of the ruling People Power Party, briefs reporters at the National Assembly in Seoul, in this file photo taken Nov. 13, 2023. (Yonhap)

PPP-new talents

Ruling party recruits N.K. defector engineer, 4 other figures ahead of general elections

SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- The ruling People Power Party (PPP) said Friday a North Korean defector engineer has joined the party along with four other figures, as it unveiled the first batch of newly recruited talents ahead of the April general elections.

Some are expected to run as candidates in the parliamentary elections, while others will take various roles within the party, including policymaking, said Rep. Lee Chul-gyu, the head of the PPP's committee for recruitment.

Park Choong-kwon, 37, defected to South Korea in 2009 after graduating from the National Defense University, now the Kim Jong Un National Defense University, a school focusing on nurturing elite scientific and technical personnel in national defense. He has been working as a researcher at Hyundai Steel Co., a local steelmaker.

"He is a new role model to North Korean defectors residing in South Korea. We anticipate that he will play a great role in the development of engineering and improving the human rights situation of North Koreans," Lee said.

The PPP also brought in pediatrician Ha Jeong-hun, who is also the author of a best-selling book on infant care; lawyer Koo Ja-ryong, a TV pundit famous for his criticism of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung; Yoon Do-hyun, head of a nonprofit organization for orphans; and criminal psychology professor Lee Soo-jung of Kyonggi University.

In the case of Lee, she has already declared her bid to run for office.

The conservative PPP has two North Korean defector-turned-lawmakers in the current session of the National Assembly. Rep. Tae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat, was elected in Gangnam of southern Seoul, while Rep. Ji Seong-ho became a lawmaker as a proportional representative.

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