President Lee dismisses vice agriculture minister for ‘inappropriate conduct’
Published: 05 Dec. 2025, 20:40
![Kang Hyoung-seok, vice minister at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, answers lawmakers’ questions during a session of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Nov. 10. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/05/2b27ddb4-f579-4f59-91df-3dea151def14.jpg)
Kang Hyoung-seok, vice minister at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, answers lawmakers’ questions during a session of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Nov. 10. [NEWS1]
President Lee Jae Myung dismissed Vice Agriculture Minister Kang Hyoung-seok on Friday after an internal probe found he abused his authority and engaged in improper conduct, the presidential office said.
The presidential office said Kang exercised his authority "unjustly" and engaged in conduct that violated laws, but declined to specify the conduct that prompted the action, citing the confidential nature of disciplinary inspections.
Kang is the first vice-minister-level official appointed under the Lee administration to be removed following an internal inquiry.
The presidential office said the government would continue to enforce discipline in the civil service and respond firmly to violations by senior officials to "ensure governance that meets the public’s expectations.”
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs was not informed of the dismissal in advance. Kang took part in a minister-led meeting on Friday morning.
Government sources say Kang allegedly sought to block an internal investigation into a senior official while serving as the ministry’s chief secretary from 2022 to 2024, using his position to suppress scrutiny of a workplace abuse case.
Some officials also argue that the allegations had already surfaced in the past, raising concerns about whether the new administration conducted sufficient vetting when appointing him. Kang was appointed in June, after the launch of the Lee administration.
“There should have been personnel vetting when the vice minister was appointed, so it is unusual to dismiss him by authority so soon after," a government official said under the condition of anonymity.
Tensions between Kang and Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung, who was appointed under the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration and retained by Lee, have also drawn attention. Several complaints about the two officials’ relationship were reportedly raised through different channels, and officials say these may have factored into the decision to remove Kang.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM YEON-JOO [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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