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Choi Min-hee wedding scandal reveals lawmakers' privileged world

Published: 29 Oct. 2025, 00:00

People Power Party Rep. Kim Jang-kyeom questions Democratic Party Rep. and Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee Chair Choi Min-hee over her daughter’s wedding, which took place during the parliamentary audit period, in a National Assembly audit session of major public broadcasters — KBS, EBS, MBC, and its largest shareholder, the Foundation for Broadcast Culture — held by the committee on Oct. 23. [YONHAP]

The controversy over Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Choi Min-hee’s handling of congratulatory money for her daughter’s wedding has laid bare the sense of privilege entrenched in the National Assembly. Choi, who chairs the parliamentary Committee on Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications, is under fire after photos captured her phone screen showing lists of cash gifts from corporate and government officials — some as high as one million won ($700), with many others between 200,000 and 500,000 won.

On Monday, the DP's chief spokesperson, Park Soo-hyun, defended her, even quoting a biblical line: “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.” He added that he had “never heard of any other lawmaker returning congratulatory money.” The remark, intended as support, only reinforced how normalized such practices have become among lawmakers, revealing their disconnect from the regular public.

Rows of floral wreaths lined the National Assembly’s Sarangjae Hall, where the wedding took place — a clue that many guests were not private acquaintances but officials from companies and agencies under parliamentary oversight. The amounts far exceeded the antigraft law's cap of 50,000 won for personal events, or 100,000 won including flowers. Choi’s use of her parliamentary aides to handle personal refunds drew additional criticism, echoing the case of DP Rep. Kang Sun-woo, who resigned as gender equality minister nominee just three months ago over allegations of workplace abuse involving her staff.

Choi’s office claimed the list was meant for processing returns, but doubts persist. Among the names was Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok, who had given 500,000 won. He told reporters that no refund notice had been sent, and that Choi’s aides visited his office to return the money only after his comments were made public. It remains unclear whether other lawmakers received similar treatment.

The controversy was arguably predictable. The wedding was held during the parliamentary audit season, inside the National Assembly compound, and the digital invitation included both a bank account number and a credit card payment link. When criticism erupted, Choi dismissed it by saying she was too busy “studying quantum mechanics” to handle the wedding — a remark that only fueled public anger.

While ordinary civil servants face punishment for accepting even modest sums, lawmakers can collect millions from book launch events without sanction. The episode underscores a self-serving political culture detached from public standards. It should prompt the legislature to mandate full disclosure of monetary gifts from corporations and institutions and to end the entrenched practices of conflict and privilege that sustain “their world alone.”

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.