The Ministry of Science and ICT labor union recommended Chi Sung-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, as the next minister candidate.
On the 16th, the labor union of the Ministry of Science and ICT issued a statement noting, "We agree with the intention of the national recommendation system introduced by the Lee Jae-myung administration," and stated that they have recommended the lawmaker as the next minister candidate for the Ministry of Science and ICT.
The labor union of the Ministry of Science and ICT valued that the lawmaker has a deep understanding and strong policy execution capability in the related field, having served for a long time as a secretary in the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee. They also cited his 98% attendance rate as a secretary, his proposals for laws related to selecting and nurturing essential national strategic technologies, and various key positions including senior deputy chair of the party's policy committee and chairperson of the Science and Technology Innovation Special Committee as reasons for the recommendation.
The labor union of the Ministry of Science and ICT expressed that, regarding the historically Seoul National University professor-centered appointments of past ministers, "A balanced perspective and execution capability that meets industry conditions and the expectations of the citizens are required." This is interpreted as a need for ministers who are politicians or come from the industry, rather than solely being graduates of Seoul National University.
The Specialized Labor Union for Research and Development also released a statement on the same day recommending the lawmaker as the Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT. The union noted, "The lawmaker is an exceptional politician with profound understanding of research fields and science and technology policies, especially having played a significant role in stopping cuts to the national research and development budget two years ago," and actively recommended him as the minister who can directly reflect the voices of the science and technology field into national policy.