Cho Kyoo-jin, the Prime Minister and nominee for Minister of Education, said regarding the allegations of plagiarism surrounding him and the controversy over his remarks that he would 'organize various controversies and issues clearly and explain them in detail during the confirmation hearing while seeking understanding', the Ministry of Education's confirmation hearing preparation team stated on the 25th.
Ministry of Education's spokesperson Koo Yeon-hee noted during a regular briefing held at the Government Sejong Convention Center that the nominee is reviewing the various issues and criticisms covered by the media.
On the same day, the National Assembly Education Committee decided to hold a confirmation hearing for the nominee on Sept. 2. The nominee has been embroiled in controversy over past social media (SNS) remarks and allegations of plagiarism. It was revealed that he wrote on his SNS 'dancing with the sword of the prosecution' and 'Tangsengjeol', using vulgar language toward former President Park Geun-hye, including 'goodbye, year of the sickly dog (丙申年)'. Additionally, it is reported that during his master's thesis at Mokwon University in 2006, titled 'Analysis of Policy Promises in the Manifesto Movement', he failed to properly cite articles and used parts of the definition of 'manifesto' verbatim.
The spokesperson said, 'Some [issues] arise from misunderstandings, and there are parts that need to be apologized for.' He further stated, ' Responding with a simple statement every time an issue arises could actually exacerbate misunderstandings,' and added, 'We will organize the various controversies and issues and explain them during the confirmation hearing while seeking understanding.'
The nominee was selected as the education minister candidate in the Lee Jae-myung government following the withdrawal of Lee Jin-sook, who fell due to controversies over plagiarism. Born in Boryung, he graduated from Kyungdong High School and the Korean Language Education Department at Gongju University. He is a former secondary school teacher and has served as the vice-chairman of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union.