South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Jan. 29, 2019 accepted the resignation tendered by his economic policy aide over controversial remarks related to job seekers.
Kim Hyun-chul, who advised Moon on economic policy, offered to resign on Jan. 29, 2019, one day after he urged young and middle-aged job seekers to stop calling the country 'Hell Chosun' and instead to go to ASEAN countries to seek opportunities. His resignation was accepted immediately, Presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a briefing.
ASEAN stands for the Association of South East Asian Nations and Hell Chosun is a term, used mainly by young people, to describe South Korea's punishing social and career situation, particularly cram schools and widespread discrimination against the poor, women and minorities.
Kim made the remarks at a Seoul seminar on the government's policies to seek economic cooperation with Southeast Asian countries.
On the same day, Moon also accepted the resignation of Protocol Presidential Aide Tak Hyun-min. Tak played a key role in organizing events for Moon's election campaigns and designed major promotional events, including the South Korean art troupe's performances for the April 27 inter-Korean summit, at Cheong Wa Dae.
In June of last year, Tak offered to resign as he had been under fire for several months because of his views toward women. Opposition parties and women's advocacy groups criticized him over sexist and misogynic remarks he made in books he wrote a decade ago. (Yonhap)