Controversy Over 1996-born 청 Secretary... Democratic Party's Jang Kyung-tae Says "Achieved by Ability"

'25-year-old' Park Sung-min Appointed as 청 Youth Secretary
Jang Kyung-tae: "A Position Selected Solely Based on Merit"

Jang Kyung-tae, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Amid fairness controversies surrounding Park Seongmin, born in 1996 and serving as the Youth Secretary at the Blue House, Jang Kyungtae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, defended him on the 23rd, stating, "He became the youth spokesperson through merit."

On the same day, Jang posted on his Facebook, saying, "Secretary Park was selected with outstanding ability through the Democratic Party's youth spokesperson recruitment in August 2019."

He added, "(Secretary Park) confidently and coherently presented his political views, which resonated with the majority of the interviewers," and explained, "At that time, the youth spokesperson selection was conducted through an interview audition and was broadcast live on YouTube to ensure fairness. It was essentially a position selected solely based on ability."

He continued, "Until Secretary Park became the youth spokesperson, no one knew who he was or how old he was, nor was there any need to know."

Park Sung-min, Youth Secretary [Photo by Yonhap News]

Additionally, Jang pointed out, "Despite social changes where people in their 30s become party leaders, it is regrettable that only Secretary Park's age and gender are being reported and causing controversy."

He also stated, "With the enforcement decree of the Youth Basic Act, young people will participate in more government committees to build youth governance," and added, "In this process, many young people are expected to have their qualifications and abilities doubted by the older generation."

Finally, Jang said, "I hope people will not judge qualifications and abilities based on age and gender but will watch over time," and expressed, "I hope this becomes a new opportunity for our society to provide more ladders for young people."

Earlier, the Blue House appointed Secretary Park as the Youth Secretary on the 21st. After being selected as the Democratic Party's youth spokesperson in 2019, Secretary Park served as a Supreme Council member during Lee Nak-yeon's tenure as party leader last year. Currently enrolled in the Korean Language and Literature department at Korea University through transfer, Secretary Park plans to take a leave of absence while serving as secretary.