President Lee Jae Myung has named new candidates for the posts of minister of education and minister of gender equality and family, after controversies involving previous nominees. 

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik announced that Choi Kyo-jin, superintendent of education for Sejong City, has been nominated as education minister, and attorney Won Min-kyong as minister of gender equality and family.

Kang described Choi as a veteran educator with more than 40 years of experience spanning elementary, secondary and higher education, saying he has a deep understanding of regional balance.

Regarding Won, a former chair of the women’s rights committee at Lawyers for a Democratic Society, Kang praised her work on behalf of women and marginalized people, saying she is expected to advance gender equality through integration and inclusion.

Kang said the vetting process has been strengthened since the earlier withdrawals, with greater scrutiny of academic papers and published writings.

The previous education minister nominee, Lee Jin-sook, was dropped over allegations of academic plagiarism, while the former gender equality minister nominee, Kang Sun-woo, withdrew amid accusations of workplace bullying.