Woo Sangho Briefs on Appointments on July 20
Nomination of Lee Jinsuk Withdrawn Over Thesis Plagiarism and Early Study Abroad for Children
Kang Sunwoo, Accused of "Mistreating Aides," to Be Appointed
"Whether the Nominee Is a Lawmaker Was Not a Major Consideration"
Woo Sangho, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, is receiving questions after a briefing on ministerial appointments at the Yongsan Presidential Office press conference room on the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News
On July 20, President Lee Jaemyung withdrew the nomination of Lee Jinsuk as Minister of Education. However, he decided to proceed with the appointment of Kang Sunwoo as Minister of Gender Equality and Family, despite the controversy over her alleged mistreatment of aides.
Woo Sangho, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Presidential Office, announced this during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day, stating, "(President Lee) has been listening to various opinions and has been deliberating deeply," and explained the decision.
Lee Jinsuk, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education nominee, is responding to questions from lawmakers at the confirmation hearing held on the 16th at the National Assembly Education Committee in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
Lee Jinsuk, the nominee for Minister, became embroiled in various controversies after her nomination. One of the main allegations was that a thesis she wrote while serving as a professor at Chungnam National University was actually plagiarized from a paper written by her student. She was also criticized for listing herself as the first author in a joint research project conducted with her student, which was described as "hijacking" credit.
Lee Jinsuk also faced controversy over sending her young children abroad to study, raising questions about legality and qualifications. In 2006 and 2007, she sent her two children to a boarding high school in the United States. At that time, her younger daughter had just finished the first semester of her third year in middle school, and according to regulations, a parent was required to accompany the child when leaving the country.
However, President Lee decided to push ahead with the appointment of Kang Sunwoo as Minister. When asked whether Kang Sunwoo would definitely be appointed, Woo Sangho responded, "Yes," and clarified, "Among the 11 nominees who have not yet been appointed, only the nomination of Lee Jinsuk has been withdrawn."
Kang Sunwoo faced allegations of giving personal instructions to her aides, such as ordering them to dispose of trash from her home or repair a broken toilet. Another point of controversy was that, out of 51 aides appointed over the past five years, 46 were dismissed during her tenure.
Kang Sunwoo, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is responding to questions from committee members at the confirmation hearing held by the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee on the 14th. Photo by Yonhap News
As public opinion worsened, even within the pro-government bloc, calls were made for the withdrawal of both nominees. On July 16, the past presidents of the Democratic Party Aides’ Association (Minbohyeop) issued a statement urging the immediate resignation of both ministerial nominees. On the same day, the civic group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy also released a commentary, stressing that "voluntary resignation is appropriate."
President Lee had been deliberating on whether to appoint the two nominees amid deteriorating public sentiment. Woo Sangho reported that after the confirmation hearings for the ministerial nominees, which were held over five days from July 14 to 18, he provided a comprehensive report on the situation to President Lee on July 19. Until then, the Presidential Office had maintained a stance of "monitoring the situation" without issuing any separate commentary on the two nominees.
On July 19, President Lee held a closed-door meeting at an undisclosed location in Seoul with Kim Byungki, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, and Song Eonseok, acting leader and floor leader of the People Power Party, to hear their opinions on the ministerial confirmation hearings. During this meeting, Song reportedly insisted that the nominations of both Kang Sunwoo and Lee Jinsuk should be withdrawn.
However, Woo Sangho clarified that Kang Sunwoo's appointment was not due to her status as a sitting lawmaker. Since the introduction of the confirmation hearing system in 2005, no sitting lawmaker has ever failed to be appointed. Woo emphasized, "I want to make it clear that whether the ministerial nominee is a member of the National Assembly or not was not a major consideration regarding their appointment."
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