Opposition Demands Resignation of Committee Chair During Science Committee Audit; Ruling Party Denounces Political Wrangling
Opposition Demands Resignation of Committee Chair During Science Committee Audit; Ruling Party Denounces Political Wrangling
October 30, 2025, the parliamentary audit of the National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee (hereafter referred to as the Science Committee) was marked by a fierce battle between the ruling and opposition parties regarding Committee Chair Choi Min-hee. Members of the opposition party (People Power Party) strongly demanded Chairwoman Choi’s resignation, citing her past statements and actions as problematic. They questioned whether Chairwoman Choi could conduct the audit fairly and impartially, focusing on her past biased remarks towards specific media outlets and her history of involvement with certain civic groups.
The opposition argued that Chairwoman Choi lacked the qualifications to serve as chair and that a fair audit could not be expected, repeatedly demanding her immediate resignation. They presented past posts from Chairwoman Choi's social media and excerpts from media interviews, emphasizing that her past remarks could unfairly benefit certain political factions. They asserted that these past statements could seriously undermine her impartiality as the current Chairwoman, arguing that her resignation was the only solution.
Opposition lawmakers also raised concerns about Chairwoman Choi’s past involvement with specific civic groups. They argued that the activities of these groups were politically motivated and that Chairwoman Choi's association with them compromised her neutrality as Chairwoman. The opposition asserted that Chairwoman Choi had previously expressed support for certain political forces through her civic group activities, and that this past conduct could negatively impact her ability to perform her duties fairly as the current Chairwoman. In particular, opposition members voiced concerns that Chairwoman Choi could use information or connections gained through her past civic group involvement to influence the audit process in a way that benefits certain companies or organizations. They argued that Chairwoman Choi's past civic group activities could undermine the fairness and transparency of the Science Committee, presenting it as grounds for demanding her resignation.
In response, members of the ruling Democratic Party refuted the opposition's claims as baseless political attacks and urged an immediate end to attempts to use the audit as a tool for political infighting. Democratic Party members argued that Chairwoman Choi's past statements or civic group activities were matters of personal freedom and unrelated to her current duties as Chairwoman. They criticized the opposition for exaggerating past events without concrete evidence, intending to launch a political attack.
The Democratic Party asserted that the opposition's demand for Chairwoman Choi's resignation was an attempt to obstruct the proper conduct of the audit, stating they would not succumb to these political attacks and would proceed with the audit without disruption. They criticized the opposition's claims as obscuring the essence of the audit and infringing on the public’s right to know, demanding an immediate apology and a guarantee against recurrence. They emphasized that the opposition's allegations were untrue and that Chairwoman Choi was performing her duties as Chairwoman fairly and transparently.
Chairwoman Choi responded to the opposition's demand for her resignation by stating that she would provide relevant materials and an explanation at the end of the audit, and that she intended to proceed with the audit as scheduled. Chairwoman Choi criticized the allegations against her as hindering the essence of the audit and infringing on the public’s right to know. She emphasized that she would take all necessary measures to prove her innocence and ensure the normal conduct of the audit. Furthermore, Chairwoman Choi urged the opposition party members to refrain from using the audit as a tool for political infighting and to focus on resolving issues affecting the public and overseeing government affairs. She stated she would do her best to dispel public misunderstandings through explanations of her past statements and civic group activities and to successfully conclude the audit.
Chairwoman Choi also pledged to carefully review and improve upon the issues raised during the audit process to ensure a fairer and more transparent audit going forward. She urged ruling and opposition party members to approach the audit with mutual respect and cooperation, promising to create an audit that meets the public's expectations.
Meanwhile, on the same day, the 'Northeast Asia Market Entry Strategy Forum' was held at the Ramada Encore in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, to discuss ways to revitalize the local economy. Additionally, a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump was held at the Gyeongju APEC conference hall, where a U.S.-Korea tariff negotiation was concluded. President Lee described the results of the U.S.-Korea tariff negotiation as "a very wonderful and beautiful negotiation." Amid these important discussions and negotiations across various fields, concerns are growing that the parliamentary audit of the Science Committee may be disrupted by the ongoing dispute between the ruling and opposition parties surrounding Chairwoman Choi’s resignation.
