Park Jin-young to voluntarily appear as witness at National Assembly audit, confronting Phenomenon controversy head-on [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Jin-young, head of the Committee for the Exchange of Popular Culture Ryu Wi-won-hoe (Chairman), will appear as a witness at the National Assembly’s Cultural, Sports and Tourism Committee audit.

Lee Jae-jeong, chair of the National Assembly’s Cultural, Sports and Tourism Committee, announced on the 29th during a plenary session that Park Jin-yeong (Chairman) had directly conveyed his intention to appear in person that morning.

Describing the Committee for the Exchange of Popular Culture as "a committee directly under Wi Han (President) established to coordinate policies scattered across various ministries and connect private sector expertise and creativity with government policy, in order to promote the continuous global spread of K-culture and cultivate popular culture as a future core industry," Lee Jae-jeong (Chairman) explained that it is "a platform for the public and private sectors to move as one team."

He then stated, "There was controversy surrounding issues such as the execution details of travel expenses that arose during the budget review process, and the fact that unnecessary debates strayed from the core issue and were reproduced in the media became one reason why an agreement on witness selection could not be reached between the ruling and opposition party secretaries."

Lee Jae-jeong (Chairman) said, "Park Jin-yeong (Chairman) has a strong will to consult and communicate with members of the Cultural Committee regarding the committee's activities," adding that "plans to set separate schedules for each party to provide explanations are also under discussion."

He continued, "It is not an attempt to avoid communication with the National Assembly; there is sufficient intent to guide discussions in a healthy manner," and added, "As Park Jin-yeong (Chairman) is leading the Committee for the Exchange of Popular Culture on behalf of Min Gan-eul (CEO), I believe it is meaningful to directly explain the committee's activities and future policy directions to the National Assembly and the public during the audit."

Lee Jae-jeong (Chairman) stated, "While facing the reality that explanations or clarifications from myself and the ministry may not be fully convincing or may be misinterpreted, Park Jin-yeong (Chairman) directly expressed his intention to appear in person this morning," adding, "Although an agreement was not reached between the ruling and opposition party secretaries, he expressed a strong desire to report on business operations to the public as a witness rather than a reference person, and to have a place where he can provide sufficient explanations."

Previously, the People Power Party had demanded that Park Jin-yeong (Chairman) appear at the audit to directly explain project plans and budget execution, arguing that since the Committee for the Exchange of Popular Culture is advancing projects using Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism funds, his presence was necessary.

People Power Party lawmaker Jung Yeon-wook said, "Park Jin-yeong (Chairman) holds a ministerial-level position," adding, "It is not about calling in celebrities to attract attention." He further pointed out that there is a need for the National Assembly to verify what basis and methods were used to calculate economic effects and visitor estimates related to the Phenomenon project being promoted by the committee, stating, "Having the person responsible come and explain directly before the public is what the Cultural Committee truly needs to do," and demanded Park Gong Dong-wi (Director)'s appearance as a witness.

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*This content was translated by AI.