Park Soon-ae, Deputy Prime Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Education, expressed her intention to resign today (8th).
Deputy Prime Minister Park held an emergency press conference at the Korea Educational Facility Safety Center in Yeouido, Seoul at 5:30 pm just before, and said, "I want to resign from the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education."
▲ Deputy Prime Minister Park Soon-ae's resignation press conference full video
Deputy Prime Minister Park added, "I was lacking a lot," adding, "All controversies, including the reorganization of the school system, are my negligence."
Deputy Prime Minister Park resigned 34 days after receiving a letter of appointment from President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 5th of last month, and it is the first case of resignation of a State Council member since the inauguration of the Yun government, just ten days after the announcement of the school system reform bill that faced strong opposition.
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Deputy Prime Minister Park met a strong backlash by hastily proposing a plan to lower the elementary school entrance age by one year to five in a presidential business report on the 29th of last month, and has been demanded to resign as it sparked controversy over the plan to abolish foreign language high schools.
While rumors of his resignation circulated around passports this morning, Deputy Prime Minister Park announced that he would attend the National Assembly Standing Committee on the 9th while reviewing major issues with the chiefs of the Office and Directors until the afternoon of the same day, but eventually expressed his resignation.