Former lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon, nominated as the first Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Budget in the Lee Jae-myung administration, has been reported to police. Lee is accused of abusing power and verbally abusing an intern on her parliamentary staff in the past when she was a member of the National Assembly.

Former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon, nominated as the first Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Budget, apologizes for remarks seen as endorsing martial law rebellion as she arrives at the personnel hearing preparation office set up at the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC) in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 30th. /Courtesy of News1

Seoul City Council member Lee Jong-bae said on the 2nd that he has filed a complaint against the nominee on charges of intimidation and abuse of authority.

Lee said, "The nominee habitually hurled horrific verbal abuse and insults at an intern while serving as a lawmaker," and said, "President Lee Jae-myung should immediately withdraw the nomination."

Earlier, in 2017, a recording of a phone call in which the nominee, then a lawmaker with the Bareun Party, scolded an intern for failing to report a news article that mentioned her name was reported by the media.

In the recording, the nominee can be heard shouting at the intern with abusive remarks such as "Do you not understand Korean," "Is your IQ a single digit," and "I really wish I could kill you."

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.