Senior educator faces dismissal on 'dogs and pigs' gaffe
By Kim Bo-eun
Na Hyang-wook
The Ministry of Education said Tuesday that it will seek the dismissal of a senior civil servant who triggered public outrage after referring to the public as “dogs and pigs.”
The ministry will ask the Central Disciplinary Committee to review the dismissal request for Na Hyang-wook, former director general of the policy planning bureau.
The request is most likely to be accepted given the growing public uproar.
“We have decided to dismiss Na for his inappropriate remarks as a public servant, which offended the public and damaged the dignity of the civil service,” said Vice Minister Lee Young at a briefing at the Seoul Government Complex. “Again we deeply apologize for disappointing the people.”
The disciplinary committee is required to make a decision within 60 days after a request is filed, but the committee is expected to conclude the case promptly, considering the growing public outrage over his remarks.
Dismissal is the harshest punishment for a public servant. If Na is dismissed, he will only receive half the amount of severance pay and public servant pension. He will also be prohibited from being re-appointed as a government official for five years.
The uproar was ignited after the Korean daily Kyunghyang Shinmun published a story on the remarks Na made during a dinner with the newspaper’s reporters last Thursday.
Na referred to the public as “dogs and pigs,” and also said “there should be a caste system because not all people are born equal.”
Regarding the public mourning for a recent death of a subway maintenance worker, he said, “How do people think of him as their own child? This is hypocritical.”
The ministry suspended Na from duty, Saturday.
Na himself apologized during a session at the National Assembly, Monday. He said the words came out under the influence of alcohol, and were not intended as portrayed.
Meanwhile, an association of education civic groups has been collecting signatures to request punishment of the official since Friday and said some 32,000 people had taken part.
They said the remarks went against clauses in the Constitution which state that “all people stand equal in the face of law.”
Na served as the education minister’s secretary and also as a Cheong Wa Dae official. He was promoted to his position in March.