Chin Young

Chin studied law as an undergraduate at Seoul National University, graduating in 1975, and attained a master's from the University of Washington School of Law in 1984. He served as a judge on the Seoul Southern District Court from 1980 to 1981, and worked as a private lawyer from 1981 to 2007.^[1][2]

Chin was first elected to the 17th National Assembly in 2004. He was re-elected twice more in 2008 and 2012 as a member of the conservative Saenuri Party.

Chin was the Minister of Health and Welfare in Park Geun-hye administration. Having previously been Park's chief secretary, he was considered a key ally of Park at the time, and advocated an expansion of government welfare spending.^[3] He resigned six months after his appointment due to the administration's refusal to fulfil an election pledge to provide an additional monthly allowance for elderly citizens.^[4][5] Later, in May 2014, Chin voiced his disapproval that he had not been allowed "to leave quietly".^[6]

In March 2016, Chin was one of a number of Saenuri heavyweights who were denied party nominations for the April 13 parliamentary election.^[7] He left the party in response, and joined the opposition Minjoo Party.^[8] At a press conference with Minjoo leader Kim Chong-in announcing his defection, Chin stated that he "cherished true party politics, not party factionalism masterminded by a certain person", and that he had joined the Minjoo Party to "fight against authoritarianism to restore democracy".^[9] His comment was interpreted as an attack on Park Geun-hye.^[9] In the event, Chin was re-elected in Yongsan for his fourth legislative term in the 20th National Assembly, defeating Saenuri challenger Hwang Chun-ja.^[10]