Hwang Kyo-ik Risk Sealed... But Lee Jae-myung Suffers Internal Damage to 'Fairness'

The resignation of Hwang Kyo-ik settles the issue for now
but personnel suspicions spread to Gyeonggi Provincial Government
expanding to Tteokbokki mukbang YouTube
Criticism that Hwang's appointment caused 'point loss and grounding'

On the 15th of last month, Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, appeared on Hwang Kyo-ik's (left) YouTube channel. (Photo by Hwang Kyo-ik TV capture)

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The 'Hwang Gyo-ik controversy,' which had acted as an unexpected setback for Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, was temporarily resolved on the 20th with Hwang's resignation as the nominee for president of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization. However, it will be difficult for Governor Lee, who intended to appoint him, to avoid internal damage.

The issue expanded beyond Hwang's personal controversy to allegations of nepotism within the Gyeonggi Provincial Government and its affiliated organizations, even escalating into a controversy over a 'tteokbokki mukbang YouTube' video, and the backlash against the 'governor's chance' is intensifying. Critics argue that appointing Hwang, a university alumnus and pro-Moon Jae-in (Pro-Moon) figure, was a misstep, especially when 'fairness' is being emphasized as a presidential election agenda.

On the same day, about two hours after Hwang expressed his intention to resign, Governor Lee stated, "Without even having the opportunity for verification, (candidate Hwang) voluntarily gave up his candidacy for all of us," accepting his resignation.

Although Hwang's resignation has extinguished the major fire, it is uncertain where the embers of controversy might reignite. Hwang is widely recognized by the public and is classified as a pro-Moon figure supporting President Moon Jae-in. Political circles inside and outside speculate that Governor Lee intended to appoint Hwang as a link to garner support from the pro-Moon faction, which had been critical of him. However, the result has only intensified disputes over fairness. A senior ruling party lawmaker commented, "It was a wrong move," adding, "Given that his (Governor Lee's) approval rating is lower than President Moon's, it seems he made a hasty choice."

Following the Hwang controversy, public scrutiny is also focusing on other personnel within Gyeonggi Province and its affiliated organizations, creating a double burden. This is because Governor Lee's overall personnel appointments could come under verification. In fact, anonymous communities within the Gyeonggi Provincial Government have expressed dissatisfaction with Governor Lee's 'favoritism toward close aides' and 'nepotistic appointments.' On the same day, Lee Nak-yeon, former leader of the Democratic Party and a rival in the party's primary, appeared on the radio and criticized, "At least 3.4 billion won was spent solely on promoting basic income, and the head of the Transportation Training Institute's office encouraged insulting SNS posts about me while receiving a salary. These things are not right." Some within the party and opposition are raising fundamental doubts about 'Lee Jae-myung-style personnel management.' If Governor Lee is elected president, the personnel failures that were raised throughout the Moon Jae-in administration could be repeated.

Moreover, Governor Lee filming a 'tteokbokki mukbang YouTube' video with Hwang on the day of the Icheon logistics warehouse fire provided a good point of attack for his critics. Kim Ki-heung, deputy spokesperson of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's People's Camp, criticized, "There is no sign on Governor Lee's face of responsibility for protecting the lives and safety of 13.8 million residents or concern for the missing firefighters fighting for their lives trapped in the fire." In response to such criticism, Governor Lee said, "I faithfully performed my role as the disaster manager that day," and rebutted, "Criticizing that the governor must be present at the scene immediately after the fire broke out is an excessive claim and speculation."

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