China News Service, August 2nd (Zheng Yun Tian) – On the local date of August 2nd, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea convened its party congress. Congressman Zheng Qinglai was elected as the new party leader.
Zheng Qinglai is a “hardcore” pro-Lee Myung-bak figure within the Democratic Party of Korea, known for his firm stance. Before the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, Zheng Qinglai served as the chairman of the National Assembly’s Judicial Committee on Legal Affairs and led the impeachment committee.
In this leadership election, Zheng Qinglai once again demonstrated his firm stance, advocating for the dissolution of the largest opposition party, the National People’s Party, under the charge of “internal strife,” successfully attracting support from party members.
Looking back at the life of this 60-year-old Korean party leader, it is evident that the term “hardcore” has been closely associated with him.
A student leader who torched an American ambassador’s residence
Born in 1965, Zheng Qinglai hails from Jinsan County, Chungcheongnam-do, where he is the youngest among ten siblings. After graduating from Daejeon High School, Zheng failed the college entrance exam and subsequently went to Seoul to study in a tutoring class. In 1985, he was admitted to the College of Industry and Management at Korea University.
During the 1980s, South Korean universities were in a fervent “movement era,” with many university students passionately participating in the “national democratic movement.” Zheng Qinglai was no exception; after enrolling, he joined a student movement group and became a member of the Seoul Student Federation.
Due to the United States’ support for then-President Chun Doo-hwan, the student movement sector strongly opposed the U.S., leading to significant resentment among Korean student activists of that era.
The current Prime Minister Kim Min-seo had previously planned a student occupation of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul during the 1980s, and famous South Korean actor An Nei-sang even sent bombs to the U.S. embassy in South Korea.
Zheng Qinglai is more “hardcore” than them.
1988年9月，郑清来被韩国情报部门的特工秘密绑架至一家酒店，遭到4个小时的私刑，期间不但被蒙住眼睛殴打，还被施以水刑。
但严刑并没有吓到郑清来，1989年10月13日，郑清来干出了震惊整个韩国的壮举。
1989年10月13日上午6点25分左右，郑清来率领5名学生驾驶着由在日朝鲜人总联合会提供的汽车，靠近美国驻韩大使官邸。翻过围墙后，他们迅速引爆两枚自制炸弹，随后用钢管砸开大使官邸的窗户进入官邸。
随着炸弹爆炸，郑清来带头高喊“反对卢泰愚叛国访美(时任韩国总统)”“驱逐美国大使”等口号，还砸碎了挂有时任美国总统老布什肖像的相框。
在睡梦中被惊醒的时任美国驻韩大使格雷戈，听到爆炸声不清楚到底发生了什么事情，穿着睡衣逃离了大使官邸。
跑得了和尚跑不了庙，郑清来等学生决定，放火烧毁美国大使官邸。他们点燃随身携带的燃烧瓶，在大使官邸内到处放火。
不过美国人由于连年遭遇韩国学生运动的冲击，本着有备无患的原则，在大使官邸内做了防火处理。这么一来，火就没放起来。
等到韩国警察冲进大使官邸来逮捕他们时，郑清来又决定向警察扔炸弹拒捕。
尽管就读于产业工学系，郑清来做炸弹的手艺却不怎么过关，几个炸弹发出巨响，但都没有爆炸，于是6人都被警察逮捕。
郑清来事后回忆，自己是带着被判死刑的觉悟冲进美国大使官邸的。不过由于火没有烧起来，炸弹也没有爆炸，郑清来最后因纵火未遂、妨碍公务执行罪名被判6年有期徒刑。
From Congressman to University Student in People’s University
In 1991, only serving two years of his sentence, Zheng Qinglai was released from prison. Due to his background in the student movement and a prior record of setting fire to the American ambassador’s residence, Zheng struggled to find suitable employment. Thus, he collaborated with another student activist Yang Taihui (transliterated) to open a tutoring institution.
Zheng taught English at the tutoring center, having previously attended for a year himself, enabling him to handle the workload.
The tutoring center was established in Mapo District, Seoul, near numerous residential areas, and its business was booming. Zheng focused on strict education, which won the favor of parents.
In 1995, this tutoring center, originally staffed by just two teachers, had grown to employ over 100 people, making a name for itself in the Seoul tutoring industry.
That same year, Zheng received a special pardon from then-South Korean President Kim Young-Sam, restoring his political rights. Consequently, Zheng decided to return to the political arena, but Yang Taihui chose to continue in the educational field, leading them to part ways. Today, Yang Taihui’s Bixiang Education has become one of South Korea’s largest private educational institutions.
In 2002, Zheng joined the Lim Kwan-yok camp and supported Lim in his presidential bid, eventually becoming a candidate for the National Democratic Party (formerly known as the Open Party) in the 2004 parliamentary elections.
Zheng ran for parliament in Mapo District, Seoul, where many young voters who had attended his tutoring classes were also parents of those voters. Leveraging this advantage, Zheng defeated the candidate from the Great Nation Party and was elected as a parliamentarian.
However, in 2008, due to the Open Party losing its ruling position and facing an anti-democratic tide, Zheng lost in the reelection campaign.
During his tenure, Zheng visited Renmin University of China multiple times and was appointed as a visiting professor by the university. After his defeat, he decided to study Chinese in Renmin University of China.
Up to this day, Zheng Qinglai can still converse in simple Chinese. His conversations with Chinese students have also been a hot topic on South Korean social media.
When leaving China in 2010, Zheng Qinglai stated that his understanding of China had deepened over the past four or five years, and he had great faith and expectations for the future. He pledged to make greater efforts for the joint development of the two countries.
Zheng Qinglai firmly supports Lee Jae-myung, becoming the “hardcore” party leader.
In 2012, Zheng Qinglai returned to South Korean politics and regained his seat in Mapo District, once again elected as a National Assembly member.
In 2015, when the Democratic Party of Korea adopted a cooperative and compromise approach towards the Park Geun-hye administration, Zheng Qinglai was the first to express dissatisfaction, calling himself the “party’s cannon.” He fought against the Park administration and successfully became the highest committee member of the Democratic Party, thereby reaffirming his position among hardliner supporters.
In 2021, with Lee Jae-myung being elected as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, Zheng Qinglai expressed his firm support for Lee Jae-myung, becoming a representative “pro-Lee” member of the Democratic Party.
In September 2023, the South Korean National Assembly passed the Lee Jae-myung arrest consent bill. At that time, Zheng Qinglai, the chief high committee member of the Democratic Party, condemned the “non-Lee” members of the party, stating they betrayed their party’s leadership.
On December 3, 2024, then-President Yoon Suk-yeol issued an emergency martial law order. On December 14, 2024, the National Assembly impeached Yoon Suk-yeol. As the chairman of the Constitutional Judicial Committee, Zheng Qinglai delivered the impeachment documents to the Presidential Office and served as the head of the impeachment team, leading the legal team and members to file charges against Yoon Suk-yeol before the Constitutional Court.
Since Lee Jae-myung ran for president in 2025, there was an vacancy in the party leadership position, and Zheng Qinglai officially announced his candidacy for party leader after Lee Jae-myung was elected president.
During the campaign, Zheng Qinglai once again emphasized a “tough stance,” demanding the dissolution of the National Party, which Yin Xiyue belonged to, on the grounds of aiding internal unrest.
In his campaign speech, Zheng Qinglai stated that President Lee Jae-myung only needs to govern the country, and all efforts to combat the “internal unrest forces” should be left to me.
South Korean media believe that due to Lee Jae-myung’s exceptional popularity among Democratic Party members, this party leadership election is also a “battle of hearts.” With Zheng Qinglai’s tough image and his firm support for Lee Jae-myung, most Democratic Party members see him as the “heart’s choice,” thus securing his support from the party members.
Analysts further suggest that Zheng Qinglai has consistently presented himself as a “hardcore” figure, and by winning the party leadership with the slogan of “dissolving the internal unrest party, the National Party,” it is expected that under his leadership, the Democratic Party will continue to pressure the National Party through the emergency martial law incident, leading to a more intense struggle between the two mainstream parties in South Korea.