Chairman Bae Dong-wook Apologizes for 'Dance Workshop'... Calls for Resignation Spread Like Wildfire

On the morning of the 14th, Bae Dong-wook, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, held a press conference at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul, and took a moment to drink water during a clarification press conference regarding the so-called 'Dance Workshop' held last month. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] Bae Dong-wook, chairman of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, who is at the center of the so-called ‘dance party workshop’ controversy, expressed his apology on the 14th, but calls for his resignation have not subsided.

On the same day, 66 regional branches and chapters of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business held a press conference in front of the Daejeon Government Complex in Seo-gu, Daejeon, where the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is located, stating, “Chairman Bae must take responsibility for the dance party workshop and resign.”

The regional branches and chapters said, “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners are facing a wave of closures, and some have even committed suicide,” adding, “In such a serious situation, the person responsible for causing controversy by inviting a performance team under the pretext of boosting morale, resulting in a drinking and dancing party, must take full responsibility and step down.”

The regional branches and chapters also criticized, “Chairman Bae is turning the regional organization into an undemocratic, power-abusing type by changing the regional chairpersons from elected recommendations to appointed positions, reducing them to puppets of the central chairman,” and “Chairman Bae is lining up the regional chairpersons,” they said.

They also requested that the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, which can practically manage and supervise the Federation, directly intervene to review Chairman Bae’s dismissal and accusations.

Earlier, at a press conference held at the Korea Federation of SMEs in Yeouido, Seoul, Chairman Bae responded to reporters’ questions about the calls for his resignation within the organization, saying, “I received about 68% support in the chairman election last April, but from the opposing side’s perspective, everything about me may be unsatisfactory,” and added, “If I am asked to resign just because I held a workshop, then no one would be able to complete their term properly. I intend to fulfill my term until February next year.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.