Despite Minister Choi Dong-seok of the Ministry of Personnel Management's apology, concerns continue to be raised within the ruling party regarding Minister Choi.
Park Beom-gye, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 30th, where he was asked about the controversy surrounding Minister Choi's remarks. He stated, “Although the position of the Minister of Personnel Management is at the vice minister level, the role is extremely important,” and added, “I believe that Minister Choi must have had a difficult attitude and philosophy to take on the role of the current Minister of Personnel Management.”
When asked whether the controversy over Minister Choi's remarks would be burdensome for President Lee Jae-myung, Park responded, “It could be a burden in the future.”
Minister Choi has also made controversial remarks towards Park. In March 2021, when Park was serving as Minister of Justice in the Moon Jae-in administration, he mentioned, 'Park Beom-gye still has a long way to go.' Park stated, “It is truly embarrassing that (Minister Choi) has used such harsh words in the past.”
Voices of concern regarding Minister Choi have been raised several times within the ruling party. Lawmaker Yoon Geon-young said, “I am very angry. It is humiliating,” while lawmaker Park Ji-won noted, “It is a fact that the verification is flawed, and he needs to sincerely apologize.”
The day before, Minister Choi issued a statement and formally apologized. He expressed, “As a citizen who has fiercely criticized high-ranking officials, I would like to extend my apologies to those who have been hurt by my criticism.”