Park Beom-kye (Korean: 박범계; Hanja: 朴範界; born 27 April 1963) is a South Korean politician who has served in the National Assembly representing Daejeon since 2012.[1] He also served as the Minister of Justice under President Moon Jae-in from 2021 to 2022.
After passing the bar exam and completing subsequent training at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, Park began his career as a judge at Seoul Central District Court. In 1998 he was transferred to Jeonju District Court and in 2001 to Daejeon District Court.[2]
In October 2002, Park ended his career at the court to join the presidential campaign of Roh Moo-hyun, who was expected to lose the election. After Roh's victory in the 2002 South Korean presidential election, Park continued to work for Roh as a member of his transition team and as a secretary at the Office of the President.[3]
After failing to gain his party's nomination for the general election in 2004 or by-election in 2007, Park finally became the party's candidate in the 2008 election. In 2012 he ran again for the same constituency and has represented Daejeon in the National Assembly since.
After operation "Miracle" in late August 2021 successfully evacuated about 400 people from Afghanistan who worked with the Korean embassy, KOICA and Korean military missions, Park said his ministry would submit an amendment to Immigration Act to parliament so that "people who have made special contributions to Korea or who have expanded its common good" can file for a long-term F2 visa.[4][5][6]
Education
Park holds two bachelor's degrees - one in law from Yonsei University[7] and the other in economics from Hanbat National University.[2]
Electoral history
| Election | Year | District | Party Affiliation | Votes | Percentage of votes | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18th National Assembly General Election | 2008 | Daejeon Seo District B | Democratic Party | 22,448 | 26.41% | Lost |
| 19th National Assembly General Election | 2012 | Daejeon Seo District B | Democratic United Party | 46,908 | 43.63% | Won |
| 20th National Assembly General Election | 2016 | Daejeon Seo District B | Democratic Party | 56,819 | 49.53% | Won |
| 21st National Assembly General Election | 2020 | Daejeon Seo District B | Democratic Party | 70,708 | 57.50% | Won |
References
- ^ "South Korea's Moon Replaces Justice Minister as Elections Near". Bloomberg.com. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- ^ a b "박범계, 한정애, 황기철은 누구?". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ 이, 해아 (30 December 2020). "(profile) Former judge committed to prosecution reform tapped as justice minister". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "'Operation Miracle' complete with 390 Afghan arrivals". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "In South Korea, Afghan evacuees find hope in their new 'special merit' status". Reuters. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "박범계 "법 개정으로 아프간인들 F-2 비자 발급…정착 지원"". NewsPim (in Korean). 26 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "Moon names new justice minister, mulls Blue House reshuffle". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 23 January 2021.