Lawyer Ji Yong-jun, nominated by the People Power Party as a candidate for the National Human Rights Commission Commissioner, has decided to step down from the candidacy on the 29th.
On the same day, Ji held a press conference at the National Assembly communication hall and expressed his intention to resign.
Earlier, on the 17th, the People Power Party recommended Ji as the successor to former Commissioner Lee Chung-sang.
However, as Ji's past record of running as a proportional representative candidate for the Christian Liberty Unification Party (now Liberty Unification Party) in the 21st National Assembly election and opposing human rights policies such as the anti-discrimination law came to light, controversy over far-right associations emerged both within and outside the political arena.
Immediately after the nomination was revealed, some civic groups raised concerns about Ji's past conduct.
Ji explained that he has never harbored hatred or discriminated against sexual minorities. He also stated that he had been active for a considerable period in a progressive lawyer organization, the Lawyers for a Democratic Society.
Lawyer Park Hyung-myeong, who was recommended as a Human Rights Commission Commissioner alongside Ji by the People Power Party, has also faced far-right controversy. On the 23rd, both ruling and opposition parties decided not to table the nomination for the two candidates in the National Assembly's plenary session.