Rumor of Rose Miran Running for General Election Just 5 Months After Inauguration: "I Found Out from the News... Still Overwhelmed"

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Mentioned as Candidate for April Next Year
"I Learned from the News... I Will Work Hard on My Duties"

Jang Mi-ran, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, dismissed rumors about her running in the general election next April, saying, "I found out from the news," and added, "I will do my best in the work I am assigned."

According to a JTBC report on the 5th, after the 19th Sports Industry Awards ceremony held at Olympic Parktel in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Vice Minister Jang responded to the question, "Is it true that you are running?" by saying, "Oh, what truth? I also found out from the news."

Jang Mi-ran, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is attending the Emergency Economic Ministers' Meeting and Price-Related Ministers' Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 5th. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Vice Minister Jang said, "It has only been five months since I took office, so I am still overwhelmed," and added, "I will do my best in the work I am currently assigned." She also said, "It's not that I have a position and am not speaking, but it's difficult to give interviews only here."

President Yoon Seok-yeol conducted a reshuffle of six ministries the day before and has announced an additional reshuffle. In political circles, it is expected that Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Moon Seong-wook and 2nd Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Jang Mi-ran will be replaced to run in the general election.

Vice Minister Jang, who took office in July, has been caught up in rumors of running just five months after her appointment. There are speculations that Jang, a former Olympic weightlifting gold medalist, may run in Gyeonggi Osan, the constituency of Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Min-seok, or in Gyeonggi Goyang, where the Jang Mi-ran Gymnasium is located, or in her hometown Wonju, Gangwon Province, or run as a proportional representative for the ruling party. Accordingly, former Korea Football Association Vice President Lee Young-pyo, a key figure in the 2002 World Cup semifinal legend, has also been mentioned as a successor to Vice Minister Jang.

Earlier, on the 22nd of last month, during a meeting of the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Special Committee's budget adjustment subcommittee, when Democratic Party lawmaker Ki Dong-min asked if she had plans to run in the general election, she replied, "I have not been in the position for long and am trying hard to do my job well," adding, "I have not thought beyond that." Some media outlets interpreted this as a possibility of her running in the 22nd general election.

The recruitment of sports stars in politics is considered a common election marketing strategy. In the 21st National Assembly, Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Oh-kyung (Gyeonggi Gwangmyeong-gap), a handball star from the Athens Olympics, is cited as a successful recruitment case, and Moon Dae-sung, a former Saenuri Party lawmaker (Busan Saha-gap) and gold medalist in taekwondo at the Athens Olympics, also won in the 19th general election. Kim Young-joo, a four-term senior member of the Democratic Party, is also a former basketball player.