Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups said regarding the newly established second Vice Minister post created by the government reorganization, "It would be good if a Vice Minister with expert knowledge related to small business owners came in."

On the 14th at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, during the Trade, Industry, and SMEs Committee's audit of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korean Intellectual Property Office, Minister Han Seong-sook answers lawmakers' questions. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

Minister Han, when asked about the "reports that former Presidential Secretary for Self-Employed Workers In Tae-yeon has been tapped" during the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' audit at the National Assembly's Trade. Industry Energy. SMEs. and Startups Committee on the morning of 14th, said, "I first saw it in a news article."

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Seong-won asked Minister Han about reports that former secretary In Tae-yeon has been designated as the second Vice Minister at the ministry, a post dedicated to small business owners, saying, "Did you submit any related opinion?"

Former secretary In is the elder brother-in-law of YouTuber Kim Eo-jun and served as the Presidential Secretary for Self-Employed Workers under the Moon Jae-in administration.

Minister Han noted, "I did not present opinions on each individual one by one," adding, "I conveyed to the (presidential office) secretary for SMEs my opinion that I would like a Vice Minister with expert knowledge of small business owners to come."

When lawmaker Kim asked again, "Have you ever heard any mention at all regarding former secretary In Tae-yeon?" Minister Han said, "I first came across it through a news article," and answered, "The timing of the appointment or matters concerning an individual candidate are for the appointing authority to decide."

Lawmaker Kim said, "Of course, the president is the appointing authority, but as a Minister, when a Vice Minister post is newly created and filled, anyone can offer at least that level of opinion," and asked, "Do you support or oppose former secretary In Tae-yeon?" Minister Han said, "It is not appropriate to answer about an individual."

Before the questioning began that day, People Power Party lawmaker Gu Ja-geun said, "There were reports that former secretary In Tae-yeon has been designated as the second Vice Minister of the ministry," and noted, "Former secretary In is Kim Eo-jun's brother-in-law, and there is criticism that this is a typical patronage appointment."

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