By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Rep. Park Jin of the governing Grand National Party was elected chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee Tuesday.
Park, 52, defeated Nam Kyung-pil, 43, who had won the endorsement of party floor leader Hong Joon-pyo.
After graduating from Seoul National University, Park worked for the Foreign Ministry before earning a master's from Harvard University and a doctorate from Oxford University. He also served as a presidential aide under the Kim Young-sam administration.
Political analysts say Park's victory is a blow to Hong, as the floor leader's candidate was rejected by the party.
After consultations with other key post holders, Hong initially announced the names of 11 designates for parliamentary panel chairmen. The list won approval from the party's decision-making supreme council.
Hong was going to request rank-and-file party lawmakers to confirm the list at a meeting. Nam was on the list as the candidate to chair the foreign affairs committee.
Park, a leading voice in foreign policy in the National Assembly, challenged Hong's decision, requesting all rank-and-file party lawmakers be allowed to cast their votes in the competition.
The three-term lawmaker made a case for his candidacy, saying he was the right person to lead the foreign affairs committee based on his extensive experience as a diplomat, presidential secretary and lawmaker.
Hong opposed the challenge, but accepted. Despite his approval, he warned that those running in the chairman competition would be barred from the committee if they lost.
Elected in the Jongno district of Seoul, Park is also known to be considering a presidential run in 2012. Jongno is called the country's No. 1 political avenue.
He made a bid to be Seoul mayor in 2006, but dropped out in the middle of the campaign. In a news conference, Park said the situation required him to sacrifice himself for the good of the party.
He was reportedly asked to make way for party rival Oh Se-hoon, who was considered a more viable candidate. Oh was eventually elected mayor.
The position of Seoul mayor is considered a critical springboard to the presidency. President Lee Myung-bak served as mayor from 2002-2006.
The main opposition Democratic Party will soon select chairmen of six standing committees of the National Assembly.