Shin Dong-kun

Shin Dong-kun (Korean: 신동근; born 22 December 1961) is a South Korean dentist-turned politician representing Incheon's Seo District at the National Assembly from 2016.

Shin Dong-kun
신동근
Member of the National Assembly
Assumed office
30 May 2016
Preceded byNew constituency
ConstituencyIncheon Seo B
Vice Mayor for Political Affairs of Incheon Metropolitan City
In office
20 June 2010  16 October 2011
GovernorSong Young-gil, Mayor
Preceded byHong Jong-il
Succeeded byKim Jin-young
Personal details
Born (1961-12-22) 22 December 1961
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materKyung Hee University
Seoul National University
Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationSin Dong-geun
McCune–ReischauerSin Tong-gŭn

Biography

Before entering politics

During his studies at Kyung Hee University, he led his university branch of student-organised group calling for the U.S. to stop providing legitimacy to authoritarian Chun Doo-hwan regime.[1] In May 1985, this group even occupied American cultural center in Seoul.[2] The prosecution service branded this group as "North Korean collaborators" defined by National Security Law.[3] After spending in jail for a year and a half, Shin was pardoned and able to go back to continue his studies.[4] In 2000 he was recognised as a person of distinguished service to the Republic[5] for his participation in democracy movement.[6]

After completing his first dentistry degree, Shin opened his own dental clinic in Seo District, Incheon in 1990.[4]

Political career

Shin first entered politics upon suggestions made by Kim Geun-tae, senior figure of his party.[7] After losing two elections in 2002 and 2004, he failed to earn his party's nomination for the same constituency for the 2008 general election.[8]

From 2010 to 2011 he has served as the first deputy of newly elected Mayor of Incheon, Song Young-gil.[7] He resigned for the 2012 general election but lost.

In the 2016 general election, conservative Ganghwa County merged with Jung District, Incheon to form a parliamentary constituency. This helped Shin to win his seat after 4 loses and to defeat former Deputy Prime Minister, five-term parliamentarian Hwang Woo-yea.[7] He then took multiple roles in his party such as deputy chair of its Policy Planning Committee from 2016 to 2017 and deputy floor leader from 2018 to 2019.

In the 2020 general election, Shin won the seat by the biggest margin among 13 constituencies of Incheon becoming the only dentist to be elected.[9] In June 2020 he criticised Gyeonggi Provincial Governor Lee Jae-myung for incorrectly branding COVID-19 emergency relief fund[10] as Universal basic income[11] and promoting UBI preferable to developing social safey net in addressing inequality.[12]

In July 2020 Shin announced his campaign to become one of five elected member of his party's Supreme Council.[13] In August 2020 he was elected as Supreme Council member for fixed term of 2 years receiving most votes after Kim Jong-min and Yeom Tae-young.[14]

From September 2020 Shin chairs party's task force for political reforms.[15]

Education

He holds two degrees in dentistry - D.M.D. from Kyung Hee University and a master's in dentistry from Seoul National University where he also completed his doctorate programme on dentistry. He is a Chonbuk Mechanical Technical High School graduate.

Electoral history

Election Year Constituency Party Affiliation Votes Percentage of votes Results
Bi-election 2002 Incheon Seo District-Ganghwa County B Democratic Party (2000) 8,144 26.40% Lost
17th National Assembly General Election 2004 Incheon Seo District-Ganghwa County B Uri Party 21,563 38.98% Lost
19th National Assembly General Election 2012 Incheon Seo District-Ganghwa County B Democratic United Party 35,139 41.15% Lost
bi-election 2015 Incheon Seo District-Ganghwa County B New Politics Alliance for Democracy 26,340 42.85% Lost
20th National Assembly General Election 2016 Incheon Seo B Democratic Party of Korea 45,841 45.84% Won
21st National Assembly General Election 2020 Incheon Seo B Democratic Party of Korea 83,671 61.64% Won

References

  1. "삼민투사건-"민주주의에 민족과 민중을 더하다"".
  2. Times, Special to the New York (1985-05-23). "AROUND THE WORLD; Seoul Students Occupy U.S. Cultural Center". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  3. "삼민투쟁위원회(三民鬪爭委員會) - 한국민족문화대백과사전". encykorea.aks.ac.kr. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  4. "신동근,인물정보 - 레이더P". raythep.mk.co.kr. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  5. "대한민국 영문법령". elaw.klri.re.kr. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  6. "[프로필] 당선 확실 - 인천 서구을 신동근 후보". 인천in 시민의 손으로 만드는 인터넷신문 (in Korean). 2020-04-15. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  7. "신동근 "지역 지키며 이날 기다려"". www.hani.co.kr (in Korean). 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  8. "[특별인터뷰] '4전5기' 치과의사 신동근 의원 "이제는 국민의 앓던 이 빼드립니다"". 경인매일 (in Korean). 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  9. tf.co.kr (2020-04-16). "[4·15 총선] '171표' 최소 표차 당락 결정 지역구와 후보는?". 더팩트 (in Korean). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  10. "Nearly 7 out of 10 S. Koreans collect relief aid, consumption picks up - Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea". pulsenews.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  11. "신동근 "이재명 주장은 잘못된 선동"…2차 재난지원금 놓고 갑론을박". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  12. 수정 2020.06.16 08:02, 입력 2020 06 09 16:08 (2020-06-09). "신동근 "이재명식 기본소득은 불평등 강화…우파 기획에 함몰"". 중앙일보 (in Korean). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  13. "민주당 신동근 의원, 전주서 최고위원 출마 선언". 이뉴스투데이 (in Korean). 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  14. 파이낸셜뉴스 (2020-08-29). "[속보]민주당 최고위원, 김종민 염태영 노웅래 신동근 양향자". 파이낸셜뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved 2020-08-29.
  15. "민주, 권력기관·정치개혁 TF 구성…"현안 신속 대응"". 매일경제 (in Korean). 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
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