Following the decision of Ministerial candidate Kang Sun-woo to resign amid the 'controversy over staff abuse,' the Democratic Party of Korea said it "respects" the decision. The opposition People Power Party raised its voice, saying, "The verification system for appointments in the Lee Jae-myung administration needs to be corrected."
Park Sang-hyuk, the senior spokesperson of the Democratic Party, stated during a briefing in the National Assembly shortly after Kang announced her resignation, "The Democratic Party respects Kang's decision" and conveyed the official party position.
There was no prior discussion with the candidate. Senior Spokesperson Park said, "I did not receive any separate contact from the candidate. I confirmed through social media," adding, "The sentiments included in the statement seem to be the background for the decision."
In addition, it was stated that the improvement of the treatment of National Assembly staff, which has been brought back into focus due to the controversy surrounding Kang, will be pursued separately. Senior Spokesperson Park noted, "This is a matter that has been needed for a long time, separate from this issue," and added, "Necessary measures will be taken to improve that part."
The People Power Party welcomed the decision, stating, "It was an appointment that did not meet the public's expectations," while urging the need to overhaul the appointment verification system of the Lee Jae-myung administration.
Song Eon-seok, the chairperson of the People Power Party's emergency countermeasures committee and floor leader, met with reporters and pointed out, "(Kang) has previously misrepresented the abuse itself as a lie. The public believes that the loss of credibility due to the false explanation is a more serious disqualification reason."
He emphasized, "In order to prevent a repeat of personnel disasters under the Lee Jae-myung administration, the verification system preparing for the confirmation hearing must be corrected."
Lee In-seon, a commissioner of the People Power Party and chairperson of the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee, said, "I thought it was an appointment that did not meet the public's expectations, but after considering various opinions, the decision was made well," adding that the next Ministerial candidate should be someone who has worked for women, families, and the weak, with a good track record and heart.
Candidate Kang was embroiled in 'abuse allegations' during the previous confirmation hearing, having directed her staff to perform personal tasks such as repairing her home toilet or disposing of trash. She later explained during the hearing that the order for toilet repair was "a request for advice," but this was also found to be untrue, leading to ongoing controversy, with increasing demands for her resignation even from the progressive camp. However, the presidential office did not back down from its intention to appoint Kang, requesting the National Assembly to resend the confirmation hearing progress report by the 24th.