Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Abusive remarks recording clouds budget minister nominee confirmation hearing
Lee Hye-hoon, nominee for minister of planning and budget, arrives at her confirmation hearing preparation office at the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation building in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
A recording containing abusive remarks allegedly made by Lee Hye-hoon, nominee for Korea’s first budget minister under the Lee Jae Myung administration, has sparked controversy ahead of her confirmation hearing after it emerged that the comments were directed at a junior staff intern in her National Assembly office.
The recording was disclosed by a domestic cable broadcaster and captures a phone call from 2017, when Lee was serving as a lawmaker with the conservative Bareun Party. In the call, she is heard reprimanding the intern for failing to report a news article in which her name was mentioned.
According to the broadcast and subsequent media reports, Lee raised her voice during the exchange and made a series of disparaging remarks. The recording includes statements questioning the intern’s comprehension and intelligence, along with language that has drawn criticism for its severity. Despite the intern attempting to explain the situation, the verbal outburst reportedly continued for several minutes.
The intern left Lee’s office roughly two weeks after the call, according to accounts cited in interviews with domestic media outlets. The former staffer said the remarks caused significant emotional distress and claimed that verbal abuse and shouting had occurred repeatedly during the period of employment.
Following the release of the recording, Lee’s camp acknowledged the controversy. In a statement carried by multiple media outlets, a representative said that Lee “sincerely apologizes to the person involved if such an incident occurred” and “deeply regrets any pain caused.”
Lee was recently nominated to lead the newly established Ministry of Planning and Budget, a powerful body responsible for overseeing fiscal policy and long-term economic planning. Her nomination is part of the president's broader Cabinet lineup, which is subject to parliamentary confirmation hearings.
Opposition parties moved quickly to raise the issue, questioning the nominee’s suitability for public office and pointing to what they described as shortcomings in the administration’s vetting process. They indicated that the matter would be discussed during the confirmation hearing.
The presidential office has not issued a statement in response to the controversy.
As the hearing approaches, the controversy is adding an additional challenge for one of the administration’s key economic nominees. When Lee appears before the National Assembly, lawmakers are expected to question her on the matter, as confirmation hearings routinely examine both policy credentials and past conduct.