Oh Young-joo Hearing... Criticism Continues Over 'Lack of Expertise and Expo Bid Failure' (Comprehensive)

Failed Bid for Busan Expo, "We Apologize" with Bowed Heads
Apology for Tax Delinquency... Spouse's Unlisted Stocks Managed via Blind Trust

At the confirmation hearing for Oh Young-joo, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, held on the 21st, opposition lawmakers continued to criticize the nominee regarding her expertise, controversies surrounding her spouse, and the failure to secure the Busan Expo. Oh emphasized her 35 years of experience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and apologized for tax delinquency and the Expo bid failure.

Nominee Oh: "Integrating Global Infrastructure Assets to Support SME Exports"

Oh Young-joo, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, is responding to questions from lawmakers at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 21st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Oh attended the confirmation hearing for the Minister of SMEs and Startups held by the National Assembly’s Industry, Trade, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee that morning. In her opening remarks, Oh stated, "It is crucial to stabilize the management of small and medium-sized enterprises, ventures, and small business owners, who are the livelihood base of the people, as soon as possible," adding, "I will strive to help SMEs, ventures, and small business owners grow as key players in our economy by applying the principle that the field is always right and utilizing the diverse experience and knowledge accumulated in the international community."

Oh stressed the need to secure national competitiveness through pioneering global markets such as exports. Drawing on her 35 years of experience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she expressed her ambition to actively develop export support policies for SMEs. She said, "By collaborating with 167 overseas diplomatic missions worldwide, the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, KOTRA, and local companies, we will integrate South Korea’s global infrastructure assets into a single platform to create a one-team export support system for SMEs," adding, "We will actively promote global innovation zones and support the attraction and settlement of global talent domestically to further strengthen the foundation for the globalization of SMEs."

Opposition Lawmakers Criticize "Lack of Expertise"... Nominee Oh: "I Will Work with a Warm Heart"

Oh Young-joo, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, is briefly lost in thought during the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 21st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On this day, opposition lawmakers questioned Oh’s expertise, doubting whether her 35 years solely at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would help her lead the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Hong Jung-min, a member of the Democratic Party, said, "Oh is a former foreign service exam passer with no connection or expertise related to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups," and criticized, "Small businesses, startups, and small merchants are all facing a severe crisis due to economic recession, high inflation, and high interest rates, so we cannot entrust such an important post to a non-expert."

Lee Jang-seop, also from the Democratic Party, stated, "Just because she briefly met with small businesses while working as a diplomat does not qualify as relevant experience," and added, "It makes one doubt whether President Yoon Seok-yeol considers South Korea’s SME policies important."

Jeong Cheong-rae, another Democratic Party member, criticized, "If she had become the Minister of Foreign Affairs, people would say she benefited from her husband," and said, "Since she came to the completely unrelated Ministry of SMEs and Startups, suspicions arise that she benefited from her husband."

Oh responded, "I fully understand the concerns about my expertise," and said, "The Ministry of SMEs and Startups especially requires inter-ministerial cooperation, and if given the opportunity, I will work with a warm heart."

Opposition: "Must Take Responsibility for Busan Expo Bid Failure"... Nominee Oh: "I Am Sorry"

Oh Young-joo, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Lawmakers also criticized the failure to secure the Busan Expo. Before being nominated as Minister of SMEs and Startups, Oh served as the 2nd Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and was in charge of multilateral diplomatic efforts related to the Expo bid.

Yang Yi-won-young of the Democratic Party, in a heated tone, said, "If you expected 29 votes for the Expo but still said there was a chance for a turnaround, that would be deceitful, and if you could not predict this situation, that is incompetence," and condemned, "Did you come to this hearing room to become a minister of a department without any sense of responsibility for the Expo bid failure?" Jeong Il-young, also from the same party, criticized, "You should have apologized to the public for the Expo results, and the responsible vice minister should have resigned, but now you have been nominated as the Minister of SMEs and Startups, which is incomprehensible."

Oh bowed her head and said, "I feel a great sense of responsibility and am sorry as someone who worked with the government and caused disappointment to the public."

Tax Delinquency and Holding Unlisted Stocks Also Controversial

Oh Young-joo, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups.
Photo by Yonhap News

After being nominated as Minister of SMEs and Startups, Oh paid her comprehensive income tax late. The deadline for paying the 2022 comprehensive income tax was the end of May. However, Oh paid approximately 220,000 KRW for the 2022 tax on May 5-6, the day after her nomination. In August 2021, the Eunpyeong Tax Office had placed a lien on her spouse’s apartment share due to tax delinquency.

Jeong Il-young of the Democratic Party pointed out, "Can a high-ranking official delay paying taxes? It makes one think that the family is delinquent on taxes. It is the same for both the husband and the nominee."

Oh explained, "I was wrong," and said, "I only became aware of the personal income tax delinquency while preparing for this hearing. I apologize for this." She added, "The lien on the house is unrelated to tax delinquency," and stated, "I have paid diligently."

There was also criticism that the 48,000 shares of Ha-eun Inno System held by Oh’s spouse could cause a conflict of interest. In response, Oh said, "I will immediately block any potential conflicts of interest through a blind trust system."

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