By Mark Hallum
S J. Jung, the former president of the MinKwon Center and a Flushing resident has been taking another stab at elected office in a campaign waged against state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) for the second time.
The Korean immigrant, who has made a life for himself in Queens over the past 30 years, identified the issues which at the forefront of his campaign as quality of life for his potential constituents and ending corruption in Albany.
Jung is challenging Stavisky in the Democratic primary for the district, which covers parts of Flushing, Bayside, Whitestone, Elmhurst, Woodside, Rego Park and Forest Hills.
Having moved from South Korea in his early 20s, Jung quickly found a home with the MinKwon Center, a then fledgling Flushing organization, which specializes in community services and representing low-income and immigrant New Yorkers. The newcomer quickly moved up the ladder and reluctantly served as the president of the group for eight years. He is also an advocate for small business after establishing several companies of his own..
Jung’s campaign has focused so far on overcrowding in terms of housing, schools, hospitals and transit in the district. As an advocate for better transportation and more funding for schools, he spoke about the state of the 7 train during rush hour and how there should be investment in infrastructure to bring relief to commuters, specifically in Flushing. New subway lines can help with this issue, he said, as well as adding a College Point station to the 7.
Overcrowding in schools in another issue for which Jung has been a vocal advocate for change. Across Queens, schools are forced to hold class sessions in trailers, sometimes 30 years old and lacking in air conditioning.
“How can we expect our students to learn anything in such a grossly dangerous condition?” Jung said.
According to Jung, affordable housing in Queens is a pressing problem. While low-income families in Manhattan and Brooklyn have seen new housing developments in recent years, Queens remains neglected. He said he would like to see new affordable housing as well as maintaining housing structures currently in place and keeping them available to low-income families.
Jung, who discussed the need to clean up the Flushing riverfront and Willets Point, is interested in working with city and state agencies to make changes which would last beyond his own time in the Senate.
Having run for Stavisky’s seat once and losing with 41 percent of the vote in 2014, Jung was asked why he did not try for another state office, such as the Assembly.
“I think this district is very dynamic” Jung said. “ I know the issues here. I have many friends and know many organizations within this district. So I truly believe that I can represent this district. At the same time the size of this district is bigger than a City Council district and an Assembly district.”
The candidate has, however, been criticized by other elected officials in the borough concerning his stance on abortion. He told the crowd at an Aug. 23 debate he would not support abortion unless the pregnancy threatened the life of the mother. Jung did not take the backlash personally and said he would passionately advocate for other rights for women, such as equal pay.
“I acknowledge that this is an important issue, but there are tons of other issues and I will continue to focus on the issues that matter to the community,” Jung said, in response to concerns that limiting access to abortion may drive women in need underground. “We need to address those issues, but in principle, my position is clear. I’ll advocate for women’s rights, and I care about the health and safety of a woman, but I’m opposed to unfettered abortion.”
As an immigrant who came to New York at 22, Jung knows the struggles of those dealing with the language and legal barrier of a new country. He believes that education and language learning is pivotal to integrating newcomers.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
