Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung has made the decision to withdraw the nomination of Education Minister nominee Lee Jin-sook, as announced by the presidential office, following a controversy over academic plagiarism allegations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the president is expected to proceed with the appointment of Gender Minister nominee Kang Sun-woo, despite public scrutiny regarding allegations of workplace abuse involving her former parliamentary aides. Presidential secretary for political affairs, Woo Sang-ho, confirmed the withdrawal during a press briefing and urged the National Assembly to take swift follow-up measures.
The withdrawal marks 21 days since President Lee selected Lee Jin-sook, an architecture professor, as the first education minister nominee of his administration. However, Lee Jin-sook has faced allegations beyond plagiarism, including unlawfully sending her daughter to study abroad at an early age. These issues have led some opposition lawmakers to call for her resignation.
While the presidential office did not address President Lee's intentions regarding Kang Sun-woo, speculation remains that he will proceed with her appointment as the gender minister nominee. Woo Sang-ho clarified that the president has only retracted the education minister nomination, emphasizing that the decision was made after a comprehensive review.