Sejong: Education Minister nominee Choi Kyo-jin had a blood alcohol level high enough to warrant license revocation when he was caught drunk driving in 2003, an opposition lawmaker said Friday, questioning his qualifications as the top education policymaker.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi, who is currently the superintendent of the Sejong City Office of Education, was nominated to become the education minister in a Cabinet reshuffle on August 13. Police data released by Rep. Kim Meen-geon of the main opposition People Power Party revealed that Choi was apprehended for drunk driving by police in the central city of Daejeon during the early hours of October 17, 2003. At that time, his blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.187 percent, significantly surpassing the then-license revocation threshold of 0.1 percent.
Choi received a court sentence imposing a fine of 2 million won (approximately US$1,440) and had his driver's license revoked in the same year. Since the implementation of the revised law in 2018, a driver's license is now suspended when the blood alcohol level reaches 0.03 percent or higher and is revoked at 0.08 percent or higher.
Rep. Kim expressed strong concerns stating, "Driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of 0.187 percent is a serious crime that can take anyone's life. He was supposed to be a role model for the education community, but his DUI record disqualifies him from being a candidate for the education minister."