Korean Ministerial Candidate Faces Controversy Over Past Legislative Actions and Allegations

On July 14, 2025, 강선우 (Kang Sun-woo), the nominee for the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, attended a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. During this hearing, it was revealed that Kang had previously proposed amendments to the Labor Standards Act aimed at establishing penalties for workplace harassment offenders.

According to the National Assembly's legislative information system, in July 2020, Kang co-sponsored a bill that included strict penalties for workplace harassment, suggesting up to two years of imprisonment or fines of up to 20 million won. A month later, in August 2020, she introduced another amendment to the same law, emphasizing the need for specific penalties for perpetrators of workplace harassment, as the existing laws lacked such provisions, making effective prevention difficult.

The proposed amendments aimed to hold employers accountable if they failed to take action upon recognizing workplace harassment. Additionally, the bill sought to broaden the definition of workplace harassment to include physical and mental suffering inflicted by third parties on employees. This legislation was referred to in the media as the 'Workplace Harassment Prevention Act.' In June 2020, Kang also co-sponsored a bill aimed at reducing wage arrears.

However, during the recent confirmation hearing, Kang became embroiled in controversy over allegations of mistreatment of her staff, including directing them to handle personal tasks such as fixing a toilet and disposing of food waste. Initially, Kang denied these claims, stating she had never assigned household chores to her aides. However, transcripts surfaced showing her instructing staff to check for leaks in her home toilet and to take boxes to her district office.

Further revelations indicated that there had been complaints regarding wage arrears in Kang's office. In response, her team explained that she had temporarily hired a housekeeper to assist with household tasks during her election campaign and claimed that all agreed-upon wages had been paid, despite demands for additional payments.

In light of these allegations, the opposition party, 국민의힘 (People Power Party), announced plans to introduce the 'Kang Sun-woo Prevention Act' to prevent similar behaviors in the future. This proposed legislation would define personal errands, privacy violations, and after-hours calls as 'unjust directives.' It would also formally categorize verbal abuse, insults, neglect, and unjust exclusion from work as forms of workplace harassment.

Additionally, the party is considering implementing an anonymous reporting system for grievances within the National Assembly and mandating annual training on human rights, emotional labor, and workplace harassment prevention for lawmakers and their aides. A representative from the People Power Party stated, 'We will prepare the Kang Sun-woo Prevention Act from the perspective of someone who once advocated for strict penalties against workplace harassment offenders.'