Ministry of Education on Choi Gyojin Controversy: "Will Provide Full Explanation at Confirmation Hearing"

On August 25, the Ministry of Education's Confirmation Hearing Preparation Team addressed allegations of plagiarism and controversial remarks involving Choi Gyojin, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education nominee. The team stated, "The nominee intends to thoroughly organize all the issues and controversies raised and provide a detailed explanation and seek understanding during the confirmation hearing."

At a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the same day, Koo Yeonhee, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, said, "Responding with a brief statement each time an issue arises could actually lead to more misunderstandings." She conveyed the nominee's position accordingly.

Spokesperson Koo added, "The nominee is closely monitoring all the issues and criticisms reported in the media and elsewhere. Some of these stem from misunderstandings, while others are areas where an apology may be warranted."

When asked, "There was criticism that the situation escalated with former nominee Lee Jinsook due to a lack of timely responses to various controversies. Why is the same approach being maintained this time?" she replied, "These matters cannot be addressed simply by issuing a statement, so the intention is to provide a full explanation during the confirmation hearing."

Regarding the plagiarism allegation against nominee Choi, spokesperson Koo said, "There is only one thesis written by the nominee, and the verification team within the Confirmation Hearing Preparation Team has completed its review." In response to a follow-up question asking whether the completion of the review means it was determined not to be plagiarism, she answered, "We will provide an explanation during the confirmation hearing."

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