Chung Bong-ju was born in Nohae-myun, Yangju, Gyeonggi (now Gongneung-dong, Nowon District, Seoul) in 1960. His father, Chung Jang-duck (died in 1991), was a policeman. One of his cousin is currently in North Korea, whom he met in Mount Kumgang in 2009. He is a descendant of Jeong Dojeon.