Choi Hee-young, the nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated during the National Assembly hearing, "I have personally experienced the wave of change during the transition from the 21st century analog to the digital era," and added, "If given the significant responsibility of the Minister, I will actively pursue the following tasks using my capabilities and expertise."
On the morning of the 29th, Choi appeared at the National Assembly hearing for ministers held in Yeouido, Seoul, and noted in his opening remarks, "Culture is the economy, and international competitiveness," stating, "I will usher in the era of the 300 trillion won K-culture market." He also mentioned, "I will help our corporations, including key industries like film and gaming, overcome the crises they face and soar toward the global market." Choi indicated methods such as expanding policy finance, tax support, innovation in cultural technology research and development, and overseas expansion.
He also emphasized the need to strengthen the "foundation of culture and arts." Choi said, "Through continuous communication with the art scene, I will strengthen the rights of creators and swiftly support those whose rights have been infringed." He mentioned establishing a "customized social safety net for artists" as one of the methods. Furthermore, he stated, "I will support the expansion of creative spaces and prevent damage from the distribution of illegal works."
He emphasized a "cultural welfare state" as well. Choi said, "I will ensure that everyone enjoys culture, sports, and travel in their daily lives as a basic right of life," and he added, "I will support cultural arts education so that citizens can easily learn and experience culture and arts, and I will expand community cultural activities." He also mentioned, "I will devise special support measures for areas with weak cultural environments."
Choi continued, "I will strengthen investments in professional sports suitable for our stance as a sports powerhouse," and said, "I will enhance sports diplomacy by supporting the hosting of international sports events and the advancement of sports talent into international organizations."
Lastly, he said, "I will drive innovation in the tourism industry based on attractive content and open the era of 30 million tourists." He also stated, "I will develop strategies and frameworks for K-tourism so that the popularity of K-culture can lead to tourist visits from around the world." He added that he aims to build a "tourism innovation ecosystem" through improvements in convenience and service innovations from entry to exit, as well as reasonable reforms to tourism industry regulations.
During the hearing, there was focused scrutiny on allegations concerning preferential employment for Choi's children and inappropriate acquisition of permanent residency. Discussions also addressed suspicions of gift tax evasion and accusations of payment on behalf.
According to Rep. Baek Hyun-jin of the People Power Party, Choi's eldest daughter was employed at the American subsidiary of Naver, where Choi served as the CEO, immediately after graduating from college in the U.S. in 2016, and she received permanent residency in the U.S. in February 2019, three years later, before leaving the company in December of the same year.
Rep. Kim Seung-soo of the People Power Party pointed out that Choi's two children paid 300 million won in gift taxes over the past five years despite having no significant income, suggesting that Choi may have paid on their behalf.