REPORTER’S NOTEBOOKOceans ministry falls victim to politics, again

Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo speaks to the press at Incheon International Airport, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Was the minister's resignation the best way to shield the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries from the fallout over allegations that he accepted bribes from the Unification Church?

After Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo offered to resign Thursday, which the presidential office accepted, the ministry was left baffled by an unexpected leadership vacuum in the middle of its relocation from Sejong to Busan.

Senior ministry officials told reporters they did not expect him to step down so soon. The bribery allegations surfaced earlier this week while he was in New York attending a United Nations meeting to officially designate Korea as a co-host of the 2028 U.N. Ocean Conference.

Chun, a three-term lawmaker representing a Busan district, had been leading the ministry's relocation effort. Denying the allegations as baseless, he said he resigned to ensure policy consistency in the maritime sector.

A truck carrying cargo for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries arrives at the ministry's new office building in Busan, Tuesday. Yonhap

Although the ministry also denied any disruption to its relocation plans, Chun's abrupt resignation has raised concerns about the government's push to turn Korea’s second-largest city into a hub for the maritime industry in the coming era of Arctic shipping routes. Questions are also growing about whether the government will continue its efforts to move HMM and other maritime-related institutions to the city.

“Maritime policies should remain consistent despite the minister’s resignation,” a group of Busan residents said in a statement. “The government must quickly appoint his successor.”

Since Chun was tapped to lead President Lee Jae Myung’s pledge to revive Busan’s economy, critics have argued that his appointment and the ministry’s relocation were politically motivated, meant to help the ruling Democratic Party of Korea win the 2026 Busan mayoral election. Chun has neither confirmed nor denied speculation that he might run for mayor.

Despite the political controversy, ministry employees have accepted the relocation plan — which costs at least 118.9 billion won ($81 million) and forces some workers to live apart from their families — agreeing with the administration’s claim that the move is essential for the future.

To boost staff morale, Chun might have been better off keeping his post, if the allegations were indeed unfounded as he insisted.

However, by becoming the first minister in the Lee administration to resign, he has once again made the oceans ministry a victim of politics.