DP leader asks Lee not to appoint ex-PPP lawmaker as Red Cross chief

Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok has urged President Lee Jae Myung to reconsider the appointment of Ihn Yohan as the new head of the Korean Red Cross, according to a ruling party spokesperson. The request came after Lee met with DP leaders for dinner at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, as reported by DP senior spokesperson Park Sung-joon.

Kim expressed his concern after consulting opinions from within and outside the party, according to Park during a media briefing in Andong. Ihn was selected through a vote by the Korean Red Cross' central committee in June and is set to assume the role for a three-year term once approved by President Lee, who serves as the organization's honorary president.

The National Assembly's public officials ethics committee has determined Ihn is qualified for the position. However, some critics have voiced their opposition to Ihn's appointment, pointing to his absence from the vote on impeaching former President Yoon Suk Yeol following his declaration of martial law in December 2024. Ihn, who comes from an American family, has been committed to developing medicine and education in South Korea since becoming a naturalized South Korean citizen in 2012.