Controversy Over 'Elderly Disparagement' Involving Min Kyung-woo, Resignation from People Power Party Emergency Committee

"I Don't Want to Cause Trouble as the Emergency Committee Starts"

Min Kyung-woo, a member of the People Power Party's Emergency Response Committee who previously sparked controversy on YouTube for making 'elderly disparaging' remarks, resigned on the 30th, just one day after his official appointment.

In a press release on the same day, former committee member Min stated, "I am resigning from my position as an emergency response committee member today," adding, "I do not want to hinder the start of the emergency committee due to controversies over my past remarks." He further said, "I will do my best from my position to eradicate activist politics."

Former committee member Min, who had been nominated for the emergency committee, became the subject of controversy due to his past disparaging remarks about the elderly. In October, he appeared on a conservative YouTube channel and said, "The greatest tragedy right now is that elderly people live too long," and "They should pass away quickly," which sparked the controversy.

Immediately after the controversy, Min issued a statement through the party saying, "I have no intention whatsoever to disparage the elderly," and "I sincerely apologize once again for my careless expression." He also repeatedly apologized during the appointment ceremony and the first emergency committee meeting the day before, saying, "It was a slip of the tongue made in the process of criticizing the social phenomenon where the 386 generation blocks the entry of younger generations by age and status," but the controversy continued.

The Korea Senior Citizens Association demanded Min's resignation, and Emergency Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon personally called Kim Ho-il, president of the Korea Senior Citizens Association, to convey his apologies. Min also sparked another controversy as it was revealed that he had previously made remarks on YouTube suggesting that Japan's colonial rule over Korea was about outstanding imperial youth pioneering overseas colonies.

With Min's resignation, the emergency committee was reduced from 11 members, including Chairman Han, to 10 members just one day after its launch.