Suppressing Laughter at the 1999 Photo
"Donated Entire 200 Million Won Ad Model Fee at the Time"
During the confirmation hearing for Prime Minister nominee Kim Minseok, tensions escalated to the point of disruption due to heated exchanges. Amid this, a moment when Kim tightly closed his eyes and tried to suppress laughter became a topic of conversation. According to political sources on June 26, during the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on June 24, Kim was questioned by Chae Hyunil, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, about his appearance as a "men's suit advertisement model."
On the 24th, during the parliamentary confirmation hearing, Prime Minister nominee Kim Minseok (left) tried to hold back laughter when asked about a 1999 suit model, along with the advertisement that was published in the newspaper. Photo by YTN
Chae stated, "In 1999, (Kim) appeared in a rather unconventional men's suit advertisement. He received almost 200 million won as a model fee at the time, but immediately donated all of it to support underprivileged children and tuberculosis support for North Korean children," and asked Kim to elaborate. This question was raised as a form of 'defense' after the People Power Party launched daily attacks, alleging problems in Kim's process of accumulating assets. When the advertisement photo was displayed on the hearing room monitor, Kim immediately closed his eyes tightly and turned his head away. He also pressed his lips together, seemingly to prevent himself from laughing. Kim responded briefly, "I don't think it's something I need to elaborate on. That is what happened."
Prime Minister nominee Minseok Kim listens to questions during the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 24th. Photo by Yonhap News
At the time in 1999, Kolon Trading Company (now Kolon Group) hiring Kim as an advertisement model was considered an extraordinary move. While there had occasionally been famous politicians appearing in advertisements, Kim was the first to appear as a men's suit model. The company stated, "We believed that Kim's (then Representative Kim) diligent parliamentary career and clean political image matched well with our luxury suits," explaining their decision to hire him as a model. Kim donated the entire model fee he received through the Korea Welfare Foundation. The donation was delivered to 18 elementary schools in Yeongdeungpo, his constituency, and was used to help underprivileged children. Each school received between 1.5 million and 3 million won, and it is reported that a total of 524 children benefited from the donation.
Meanwhile, the two-day parliamentary confirmation hearing for Prime Minister nominee Kim Minseok concluded without verifying Kim's morality or evaluating his qualifications. During the hearing, the People Power Party focused on scrutinizing previously raised allegations and controversies related to Kim's assets and family, but failed to raise any new suspicions. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea, while attempting some policy questions regarding government prosecution reform and economic policy direction, in practice spent most of the time defending Kim.
The Democratic Party criticized the People Power Party for repeatedly raising unsubstantiated suspicions for political strife without preparing a 'decisive blow,' resulting in what they called an 'empty hearing.' Conversely, the People Power Party argued that the Democratic Party turned the hearing into a 'hearing of exoneration' by refusing to negotiate on witnesses and references and consistently covering for Kim's insufficient document submissions, directing blame at each other.
On the second day, June 25, the hearing was dominated by disputes between the parties over Kim's 'insufficient document submission' and the People Power Party's '600 million won wardrobe remark.' After a recess in the afternoon, the hearing did not resume and was automatically adjourned at midnight. As a result, there is a high possibility that the adoption of the examination report by the National Assembly's Special Committee on Personnel Hearings will not be achieved.
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