"Can't You Tell Right from Wrong?"... Another Recording of Lee Hyehun's Power Abuse Released

Joo Jinwoo of the People Power Party Releases Audio Recording
Verbal Abuse Toward Media Aide During Lee Hyehun's Tenure as Lawmaker

On January 9, new allegations emerged that Lee Hyehun, nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget, verbally abused her aide during her time as a member of the National Assembly.

Joo Jinwoo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, stated on the same day, "I am releasing an audio recording of Lee Hyehun calling her staff at 10:25 p.m. and abusing her position."

In the recording released by Assemblyman Joo, Lee Hyehun can be heard criticizing one of her aides over media monitoring issues, saying, "Are you really the one in charge of the media? Can't you even tell the difference between right and wrong? Isn't it obvious? Say something, will you!"

Lee Hyehoon, nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget, is arriving at the confirmation hearing office set up at the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in Jongno-gu, Seoul on January 9, 2026. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Assemblyman Joo explained the context of the recording, stating that Lee Hyehun, during her tenure as a lawmaker, called her staff around 10:30 p.m. to reprimand them for failing to properly report media coverage that mentioned her. Regarding the phone call, Assemblyman Joo added, "The informant said, 'Lee Hyehun was especially sensitive about articles about herself and had a habit of being unable to control her anger.' Making a call at 10:25 p.m. itself is an act of violence. Verbal abuse in the early morning hours was also commonplace." He went on to say, "A minister with a trashy character like Lee Hyehun cannot be tolerated by the pride of the people. She must resign immediately."

Previously, on January 1, a recording was released in which Lee Hyehun was heard yelling and verbally abusing a former intern in her National Assembly office, saying, "I really wish I could kill you," causing public outrage.

In addition, Chun Haram, a lawmaker from the Reform Party, claimed the previous day that Lee Hyehun and her spouse used a so-called "fake single" method to inflate the number of dependents in order to win a lottery for a high-priced apartment worth several billion won in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, in July 2024. At the time of the lottery, Lee Hyehun's eldest son had already held a wedding ceremony, but by not registering the marriage, he was counted as part of the same household as Lee Hyehun and her spouse, thereby increasing their application score.

On this day, Assemblyman Chun visited the apartment and said, "The Lee Jaemyung administration should not only withdraw Lee Hyehun's nomination but also cancel the apartment lottery win and immediately initiate a criminal investigation. President Lee Jaemyung must apologize to the public for the complete failure of the personnel vetting process."

Park Sunghoon, chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, also commented, "The person who has fiercely criticized the price ceiling system as a 'lottery for the cash-rich' is now the beneficiary of that very system, having received an apartment for 3.7 billion won that is now worth nearly 9 billion won. This is the epitome of hypocrisy." He continued, "Maintaining the eldest son, who is independent through marriage and employment, as a household member to increase the application score is a clear disruption of the housing supply order and a matter that must be strictly investigated for legal violations. Lee Hyehun has no justification to cling to her position any longer. She must resign immediately."

The confirmation hearing for Lee Hyehun is scheduled for January 19.