"Sunwoo Kang and Jinsook Lee Are Different,"
Withholding Judgment
"Morse Tan Should Be Deported by the State," Kim Argues
Sangwook Kim, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, became the first from the ruling party to call for the voluntary resignation of Education Minister nominee Jinsook Lee. On July 17, during an appearance on SBS Radio's "Kim Taehyun's Political Show," Kim stated, "I believe that Jinsook Lee is not the right choice for Education Minister. Even if one considers the particularities of science and engineering papers, it is inappropriate for a nominee to copy even typographical errors from a student's thesis." He added, "I hope the nominee will stop burdening the President." When asked by the host if this meant he believed Lee should step down voluntarily, Kim replied, "That is my personal opinion."
He continued, "(The nominee) has accumulated experience necessary for educational reform in terms of objective career and other aspects. It seems the President trusted that and gave her the opportunity," adding, "However, I doubt the President expected there would also be an issue of thesis plagiarism." Regarding Sunwoo Kang, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Kim said, "I cannot comment carelessly as I have not fully understood the circumstances," but added, "The nature of the issue is different from that of nominee Lee." Kim explained, "Nominee Lee has a problem in an essential qualification required for the position, which is unacceptable, while nominee Kang is being attacked over a matter of character. When there is discomfort between people, things can be exaggerated, reproduced, or distorted. We need to examine the context further."
Meanwhile, Kim commented on the recent visit to Korea by former U.S. State Department Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, Morse Tan, claiming that former President Yoon Sukyeol may be under the illusion that the United States will save him. Kim said, "I am concerned that former President Yoon is gathering a far-right hardline support base and seeking a diplomatic solution," and emphasized, "This is not a case where a not-guilty verdict is possible. The public has seen everything firsthand, there is overwhelming evidence, and even the videos we have seen are sufficient as evidence."
He added, "He tried to use Ducksoo Han and Moonsu Kim to seek a pardon, but ultimately failed. He must now realize that even a pardon is not easy," and criticized, "As a result, I think he is now dreaming of another coup d'etat in his own fantasy." Regarding remarks by former Ambassador Morse Tan, such as "martial law is a heroic act," "there is evidence of a fraudulent election," and "the United States must intervene," Kim said, "These are the stories that Yoon Sukyeol and his supporters believe," stressing, "They are completely groundless."
Regarding the police investigation into Morse Tan's claim that "President Jaemyung Lee was involved in a group sexual assault and murder case as a teenager and was sent to a juvenile detention center," Kim criticized, "This is a completely false claim with not a single piece of evidence." Furthermore, Kim argued that former Ambassador Morse Tan should be forcibly deported. He stated, "He is not Korean, and his intentions are clear. He is coming to Korea and deliberately spreading false information to create political chaos," adding, "If someone has such impure motives to undermine the constitutional order and deny the state, of course, they should be deported."
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