Yoon Takes Strong Action Against Na Kyung-won Who Submitted Resignation... First Dismissal Decision for Minister-Level in New Government

Although I was lukewarm to former lawmaker Na's resignation statement,
the dismissal decision is interpreted as a response to ongoing noise before the tour.
The climate environment ambassador position, which Na did not clarify, was also dismissed.
Immediate announcement of successor nomination is expected.

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 13th, the Presidential Office simultaneously dismissed former lawmaker Na Kyung-won from her positions as Vice Chairperson of the Low Fertility and Aging Society Committee and Climate Environment Ambassador. It has been exactly three months since she was appointed as the minister-level Vice Chairperson of the Low Fertility and Aging Society Committee for a three-year term, marking the first case of President Yoon dismissing a minister-level public official.

Initially, it was widely expected that President Yoon would postpone the decision on Na’s resignation due to preparations for his 6-night, 8-day trip from the 14th to the 21st to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Davos Forum. However, considering that ongoing controversies might affect the trip, this decision is interpreted as a preemptive measure.

Kim Eun-hye, Chief of Public Relations, stated at a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon, "President Yoon Seok-yeol dismissed former lawmaker Na from her positions as Vice Chairperson of the Low Fertility Committee and Climate Environment Ambassador today."

She continued, "President Yoon has appointed Kim Young-mi, the current Standing Committee member, as the new Vice Chairperson of the Low Fertility Committee, and Professor Cho Hong-sik of Seoul National University Law School as the new Climate Environment Ambassador. Kim is a promising scholar in issues related to low fertility, aging society, and social welfare, while Professor Cho is recognized as a global authority in carbon neutrality and environmental fields."

The two appointees will undergo formal appointment procedures after deliberation at the Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo next week and will be officially appointed with approval in the UAE during the ongoing trip.

The Presidential Office has denied previous claims that former lawmaker Na expressed her intention to resign via text message to Kim Dae-gi, Chief of Staff to the President, stating they have "no knowledge" of such communication.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

When former lawmaker Na submitted her resignation letter to the Low Fertility Committee on the morning of the same day, the response from Presidential Office officials was lukewarm.

Because of this, there was speculation that President Yoon, ahead of this trip defined as a sales and economic diplomacy mission, was trying to avoid being entangled in domestic political issues as much as possible.

This dismissal decision is interpreted as reflecting President Yoon’s displeasure over the political and policy controversies caused by Na’s series of actions. The Presidential Office had been tense over Na’s proposal of a "loan forgiveness upon childbirth" policy during a meeting held on the 5th in her capacity as Vice Chairperson of the Low Fertility Committee.

Although Senior Secretary for Social Affairs Ahn Sang-hoon fully denied the proposal the next day at a briefing, stating, "It is unrelated to government policy and significantly differs from the policy direction of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration," a high-ranking Presidential Office official mentioned the possibility of dismissing Na when she refused to back down.

This led to interpretations of "pressure not to run" against Na, who had been mentioned as a potential candidate for the People Power Party leadership, but the Presidential Office drew a line, saying it was a policy issue.

However, as the series of events related to Na’s case was effectively seen as a "pre-announcement of candidacy" for the next party leader, President Yoon appears to have ultimately decided on dismissal.

However, since President Yoon chose dismissal, which corresponds to disciplinary action under the National Public Officials Act, rather than simply accepting Na’s resignation, it is expected that political repercussions will expand. Notably, the dismissal decision was also made regarding the Climate Environment Ambassador position, from which Na had not expressed her intention to resign.

The Presidential Office is cautious about other interpretations, stating only that various reasons for dismissal were comprehensively reviewed.

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