Joo Jin-woo: "Why can't Lee Jin-sook be appointed while Kang Sun-woo can?"

Joo Jin-woo, a member of the People Power Party, targeted the presidential office's decision to appoint Kang Sun-woo as Minister of Gender Equality and Family.

On the 21st, Joo posted on Facebook with the caption, "Lee Jin-sook can’t be appointed, but you, Kang Sun-woo, can?"

He compared the two candidates, stating, "Lee Jin-sook plagiarized a thesis but was defended by her students who said it’s fine for our teacher to be the first author, vs. Kang Sun-woo, who mistreated her aides but received no defense, followed by continued accusations of mistreatment."

He further pondered, "It's a close call, but isn't the Kang Sun-woo candidate somewhat lacking?"

Finally, he concluded, "If I had known the power of the quilt was to this extent, I would have at least packed a pillow…"

He referred to an incident where Kang previously tidied up the bedding of President Lee Jae-myung (then the leader of the Democratic Party) during a hunger strike.

Joo made the remark in a roundabout criticism of the presidential office pushing forward with Kang's appointment.

In a subsequent post, he warned that "the 'Kang Sun-woo style bullying' is a habit, so testimonies of victims will surely emerge," adding, "During the Moon Jae-in administration, former Minister Jeong Young-ae intervened because she couldn’t stand it any longer. From my personal experience, Kang Sun-woo has a character that makes it impossible for her to perform as the Minister of Gender Equality and Family."

Joo also stated, "I hope they heed the public sentiment that is enraged by the push for this ministerial position."

On the same day, Park Sang-hyuk, the senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party, answered a question about whether the party's stance on Kang remains unchanged, saying, "The necessary parts have been clarified (during the confirmation hearing), and since Kang has sufficiently apologized, she should now be observed and evaluated during her work."

With this, President Yoon is expected to request the National Assembly to resend the confirmation report for Kang within a 10-day deadline, as stipulated by the Confirmation Hearing Act.

Since ministerial appointments do not require National Assembly consent, President Yoon can appoint Kang as Minister of Gender Equality and Family at any time after the deadline for the resending of the confirmation report.

Image sources: Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party / News1, Kang Sun-woo, candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family / News1, facebook 'joojjinwoo'