"I will announce my position on the 20th"... Hwang Kyo-ik, comforted by Lee Hae-chan, hints at voluntary resignation

Hwang Kyo-ik, comforted by Lee Hae-chan: "I was moved, thinking 'So this is what comradeship is like'"

Taste columnist Hwang Kyo-ik. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Hwang Kyo-ik (59), a food columnist who was nominated as the president of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization and became embroiled in a 'favoritism appointment' controversy, hinted at the possibility of voluntary resignation on the 19th, saying, "I will organize my position by tomorrow morning and post it."

On the afternoon of the same day, Hwang opened his statement on his Facebook post, saying, "I endlessly demanded an apology from the Lee Nak-yeon side, but unexpectedly received consolation from former Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan."

He said, "At first, I was moved, thinking this is what comradeship is, but as time passed, I began to wonder why I was acting this way," adding, "The success of the Moon Jae-in administration must be confirmed by the Democratic Party's reestablishment of power. I will find a way to work together." This seems to mean that by choosing voluntary resignation, he intends to prevent party division.

Earlier, former leader Lee Hae-chan reportedly sent a message of consolation to Hwang, who was embroiled in controversy over 'favoritism appointments.' Through Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Hae-sik, Lee said, "Hwang contributed to the birth of the Moon Jae-in administration," and "Moreover, he contributed in various ways to the Democratic Party's victories in the recent general and local elections."

He continued, "I think your heart must have been deeply hurt by this incident," and "As a senior politician, I will offer consolation on behalf of the politicians." He also stated, "I believe you will generously open your heart and continue to work together for the Democratic Party's reestablishment of power."

Former Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Recently, Gyeonggi Province nominated Hwang as the new president of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, which had been vacant since December last year, sparking controversy. There were suspicions that Hwang lacked expertise in the tourism field and that this was a 'favoritism appointment' because he defended Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung's 'brother-in-law curse controversy.'

As a result, voices criticizing Hwang continued within the political circles. In particular, fierce criticism came from the camp of Lee Nak-yeon, a Democratic Party presidential candidate. Shin Kyung-min, former lawmaker and standing vice-chairman of Lee Nak-yeon's camp, evaluated Hwang disparagingly on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 17th, saying, "He is someone suitable for the Tokyo or Osaka tourism organizations in Japan."

Despite such controversy, Hwang had so far dismissed calls for voluntary resignation, saying that his position could only be decided by Governor Lee, who has the appointment authority.

On the morning of the same day, Hwang also said on his Facebook, "I am a job seeker trying to get a job as the president of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization," adding, "If I had worked hard to secure a job, would I give it up just because several people demand it due to political differences?"

He posted again, saying, "The controversy about me was triggered by the Lee Nak-yeon side. They framed me as pro-Japanese to end my professional life," adding, "The incident started when a leading Democratic Party presidential candidate's camp, which included a former prime minister, verbally attacked a Democratic Party supporter by calling them 'pro-Japanese.' An apology would suffice."

As the controversy grew, Lee Nak-yeon met with reporters at the National Assembly communication office in the afternoon and said, "I think it was excessive for a responsible person in our camp to mention the pro-Japanese issue."

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