[Summary] "I Expressed Regret" vs "Minister Must Take Responsibility" Conflict Between Ruling and Opposition Over Kang Kyung-hwa's Position

Park Beom-gye "Cannot Accept Connecting to Public Responsibility"
Kim Ki-hyun "Issue of Privilege and Rule-breaking, Not Personal Misconduct"

In 2017, Minister Kang Kyung-wha (right) and her husband, Professor Emeritus Lee Il-byeong of Yonsei University, attended the appointment ceremony for Minister Kang Kyung-wha at the Blue House. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] The ruling and opposition parties are deepening their conflict over the position of Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa, amid controversy surrounding her husband, Yonsei University Professor Emeritus Lee Il-byeong's trip to the United States for the purpose of purchasing a yacht. While the ruling party voices that linking a spouse's wrongdoing to the minister's position is excessive, the opposition party has rebutted, calling it a 'double standard.'

Earlier, Professor Lee, the husband of Minister Kang, traveled to the United States during the recent Chuseok holiday, when overseas travel was discouraged to prevent the spread of COVID-19, for the purpose of purchasing a yacht.

On the 3rd, while departing for the U.S. through Incheon International Airport, Professor Lee responded to KBS reporters' questions about the purpose of his trip by saying, "I'm just traveling, a free trip."

When asked if the trip was a burden given that he is a family member of a public official, he replied, "It would be a burden if I were doing something wrong, but I am living my life doing what I believe is right," adding, "Should I give that up because of what others think? You can't live your life always worrying about what others think."

As the controversy grew, the ruling party criticized Professor Lee's actions but drew a line regarding Minister Kang's position.

Park Beom-gye, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea / Photo by Yonhap News

On the 5th, Choi In-ho, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Professor Lee in an interview on BBS Radio's 'Park Kyung-soo's Morning Journal,' saying, "There can be no citizen free from quarantine rules," and "As the minister's spouse and a university professor emeritus, he can be considered a public figure. He should have a public consciousness."

He emphasized, "Inappropriate behavior by public officials or public figures that does not meet the public's expectations should never happen again."

On the same day, Park Beom-gye, a member of the same party, said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that Professor Lee "deserves criticism from the public's perspective," but added, "Minister Kang has apologized to the public. That should be enough, and attacking her by linking this to public responsibility is unacceptable." This implies that discussing the minister's position due to a family member's misconduct is excessive.

On the other hand, the opposition party defined the controversy over Professor Lee as an issue of 'privilege and unfairness,' arguing that the minister should take responsibility.

Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, said in a radio interview that "The Foreign Minister urged people to refrain from traveling, so is it appropriate for her husband to act like this in line with public sentiment?" He pointed out, "The core issue here is not the yacht but the double standard."

He continued, "Ordinary citizens, powerless people, are told not to visit their parents' graves or greet elders in their hometowns," adding, "In some cases where children live abroad, they even have to hold virtual weddings because parents cannot travel back and forth."

He criticized, "The public complies with the government's strong enforcement and requests for restraint, but here, without any urgent reason, someone goes abroad to buy a yacht, a luxury trip," and said, "If we just dismiss this as a personal matter, the issues of privilege and unfairness cannot be avoided."

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Doryeom-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, after finishing an external schedule on the afternoon of the 5th. / Photo by Yonhap News

Kim questioned, "If this were an ordinary citizen, there would be no problem, but isn't this a sitting minister?" and asked, "If the minister does not take responsibility, who else can?"

Meanwhile, Minister Kang apologized on the 4th at a press conference regarding the controversy over her husband's overseas trip. She said, "I feel sorry regardless of the circumstances because the public is refraining from overseas travel and other external activities."

However, regarding the possibility of Professor Lee's return, she explained, "Ultimately, it was his decision to leave," and "He had planned this trip for a long time and postponed it, so it is difficult to tell him to return."

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