"Directing staff to throw away household trash… An act not even done in the military"

Kang Seon-woo, the nominee for the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, has been accused of 'power abuse' during her time as a member of the National Assembly.

According to a report from SBS on the 9th, an individual named A, who worked as Kang's assistant during the 21st National Assembly, claimed that Kang instructed her to throw away trash from her home.

A stated, "When trash piled up at home, she just had me bring it down." He added, "Looking at the box, it was all mixed with general trash like leftovers from chicken and dumplings.” He continued, "Is it normal to ask your staff to do this? It’s something not even done in the military. It's truly absurd," he criticized.

The staff members revealed that Kang had instructed them to separate food waste and general trash and discard it at the National Assembly or in their local office.

"Treated like a housekeeper"… Allegations of instructing toilet repairs

Another assistant, B, also expressed feeling insulted by Kang’s 'housework' instructions.

B claimed that when there was an issue with the toilet in Kang's home, Kang directed him to "go home and check it."

Upon arriving, B confirmed that the bidet nozzle was broken and that water was continuously leaking, and he was unable to repair it himself, ultimately having to call a service to fix it. He stated, "It was humiliating, as if I were treated like a housekeeper."

The media reported, "Witness testimonies and evidence regarding such acts of power abuse have also been secured."

Kang's explanation: "I never instructed to throw away trash or repair"

In response, Kang explained to the media, "I have a housekeeper, so there is no need to have my assistants handle chores such as trash organization."

She added, "While I did mention to an assistant in the past that my home became flooded due to an issue with the toilet, I never asked for repairs."

46 staff changes… "Unusual even in the National Assembly"

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Kang frequently replaced her assistants during her time as a member of the National Assembly.

According to data submitted by the office of People Power Party member Han Ji-ah, Kang's office has appointed a total of 51 individuals over the last five years, with 46 of them having been dismissed. National Assembly officials have stated, "The rate of staff changes is quite high."

However, the National Assembly office noted, "The records include individual rank changes, so the same person may appear multiple times." They explained that it is possible Kang dismissed and reappointed existing assistants upon reelection or that promotions were included.

During her first term as a member of the National Assembly in 2020, Kang appointed 11 assistants, followed by 5 in 2021, 8 in 2022, and 7 in 2023. In 2020, 2 fourth-grade assistants and 1 senior secretary were replaced, and the following year, 1 fourth-grade assistant was replaced as well. In 2022, 2 fourth-grade assistants and 1 senior secretary were changed.

Last year, as she began her second term, a total of 14 individuals were appointed, and in the first half of this year, 2 fourth-grade assistants were replaced, but only one of them was refilled.

Image source: Kang Seon-woo, the Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee / News1, News1