Korean immigrant takes office as mayor in Peru

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Jung Hung-won, a South Korean philanthropist, was sworn in as mayor of a central Peruvian city with a population of approximately 175,000 last week. Jung, a businessman-turned-mayor, is the first South Korean ever to take an elective position in the region after South Koreans first immigrated to South America 106 years ago.

In Peru, foreigners, who have a permanent residence permit and lived in the same electoral district for two consecutive years or more, are eligible for candidacy in all elective posts, except president, lawmaker and Cabinet minister.

Jung, who has lived in Peru for 15 years from 1996, won the election to become the mayor of Chanchamayo last October with 34.8 percent of the votes counted, defeating the incumbent mayor by a wide margin.

In his inaugural speech on Jan. 2, the 64-year old Korean who is called Mario by the local people pledged to build a clinic to help poor people receive free medical services, reduce poverty and revitalize the local economy during his four-year tenure.

Peru is his second immigrant destination, following a 10-year stay in Argentina. Jung first settled in Lima, Peru, in 1996 and then moved to Chanchamayo, approximately 300 kilometers east of the capital city, four years later.

Prior to moving to Argentina, he had worked for two years in Iraq as a construction worker in the 1980s.

Over the past 25 years while living in foreign countries, Jung has been through a series of ordeals. He lost his two young children due to disease.

Losing his children motivated him to pay extra attention to children who live in poverty and suffer from disease. Part of his income from his restaurant and drinking water business has gone to support those who were sick and asking for help. Jung bought gas for those who were unable to do so and donated money to cancer patients.

His dedication to the community won him the reputation of a person who is there for the poor. “Initially, I was not interested in running for mayor. I tried not to be distracted from my initiative of helping those who were in need,” he said in an interview.

But Jung changed his mind after being tapped by a group of supporters of Alberto Fujimori, a former Peruvian president (1990-2000), to run in the election. He will serve as mayor of Chanchamayo for four years from this month.

페루 첫 한인 시장 탄생

남미 한인 이민사 106년만에 첫 한인 시장이 탄생해서 눈길을 끌었다. 1996년 페루로 이민을 가서 15년째 살아온 정승욱 시장이 장본인.

지난 10월 선거에서 페루 중부 도시인 찬차마요시의 시장으로 선출된 정시장은 1월 시장으로 첫 임무를 시작했다.

페루현지에서 빈민들을 돕고, 가난한 어린이들을 지원해 온 정시장은 이민을 간 후 질병으로 두 자녀를 잃는 아픔을 겪은 이후 빈민과 어린이 지원활동을 하게 되었다고 한 인터뷰를 통해 밝혔다.