5 days ago
Ex-senior Natl. Assembly official makes bid for Inter-Parliamentary Union secretary general
Jun Sang-soo, former deputy secretary general for legislative affairs at the National Assembly Secretariat, has submitted a bid to become the next secretary general of a global association of national parliaments, officials said Monday.
Jun recently submitted his candidacy for the top job at the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union that facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and seeks to promote democratic governance.
The 181-member organization will elect its new secretary general during its general assembly in Istanbul next April, who will serve a four-year term.
The organization's executive committee is set to review a shortlist of 20 candidates later this year, before narrowing it down to five final candidates.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik recommended Jun for the role, noting the "resiliency" of South Korea's democracy after the brief imposition of martial law last year, which was lifted by the National Assembly.
"After the martial law crisis, the Republic of Korea's National Assembly has demonstrated a surprising level of democratic resiliency," Woo said in his recommendation. "As a candidate from Asia, Jun will be committed to raising the diversity and inclusivity of the IPU a step further through proven leadership in the field of innovation."
Ruling and opposition party lawmakers from the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee also offered support for Jun.
"There has never been a secretary general from Asia in the IPU's 136-year history. Jun, who has 30 years of legislative experience, seeks to fill that gap," Rep. Lee Jae-jung of the ruling Democratic Party said.
Rep. Kim Gunn of the main opposition People Power Party noted the importance of the election process of a new IPU secretary general as South Korea marks the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule this year.
Jun, who currently serves as an adviser to Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, entered public service in 1992. He has served in various roles at the National Assembly Secretariat, including as the head of the planning and coordination office and the proceedings bureau. (Yonhap)
