Pressure Mounts for Choi Dongseok, Head of the Ministry of Personnel Management, to Resign
The confirmation hearings for Choi Hwi-young, nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Kim Yoon-duk, nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, were held on July 29, 2025. The opposition party raised questions regarding whether Choi's nomination was a reward appointment, and brought up suspicions about Kim's payment of gift tax.
The National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee each held confirmation hearings that day to conduct personnel verification of Choi and Kim.
In particular, the People Power Party focused its scrutiny on Choi. The party stated its intention to conduct a thorough verification process due to multiple allegations, including preferential employment for Choi's child, proxy payment of gift tax, and underreporting of real estate assets. Additionally, questions were raised about whether Choi, who previously served as CEO of NHN, the predecessor of Naver, was appointed as a reward for connections to the Naver·Lee Jaemyung President's Seongnam FC sponsorship allegations. Kim Seungsoo, a member of the People Power Party, criticized at the hearing, "The nominee's failure to submit the requested documents can only be seen as an admission of the allegations raised," and added, "Even the nominee's attitude at the hearing shows a complete lack of qualification for the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism position."
Kim Yoon-duk is suspected of evading gift tax in the process of fully supporting the deposit for his child's apartment lease. However, there are relatively fewer allegations raised against Kim compared to Choi, and it is expected that the Democratic Party will actively defend Kim, who is currently a sitting lawmaker.
In addition, the People Power Party pressured Choi Dongseok, head of the Ministry of Personnel Management, to resign. This comes as remarks have repeatedly surfaced showing that, while Choi criticized personnel from the previous Moon Jaein administration, the new administration, and opposition figures, he has expressed blind support for President Lee. The People Power Party raised its voice, saying, "Entrusting personnel innovation in the public sector to a super-controversial YouTuber is not in line with public expectations," calling for Choi’s resignation. Regarding the possibility of Choi’s resignation, the presidential office drew a clear line, stating, "There is nothing under review."
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