[OSEN=Kim Chaeyeon, Reporter] Singer Park Jin-young has accepted the position of chairman of the Committee for Cultural Exchange and stated that he declined all ‘ministerial-level treatment.’
On the MBC entertainment show ‘Radio Star’ aired on the 5th, a special episode titled ‘JYPick Eutzz’ featured guests Park Jin-young, Ahn So-hee, Boom, and Kwon Jin-ah sharing stories.
Park Jin-young recently accepted the position of chairman of the Presidential Committee for Cultural Exchange, directly appointed by President Lee Jae-myung. This position, reportedly at a ‘ministerial level,’ has been a topic of interest.
On this day, Park Jin-young said, “Initially, I was offered a full-time position, but I declined for three months citing being busy. Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik from the Presidential Office kept addressing whatever reasons I provided to refuse. Eventually, I had no valid reason to decline anymore. Being in such a high public position felt overwhelming.”
Kim Gura asked, “Even if it’s not full-time, if it’s at a ministerial level, there would be privileges like a car provided,” to which Park Jin-young responded, “There are such benefits, but I declined them all.” He added, “You can receive a salary if it’s full-time, but how can I be full-time? I have to do both singing and appear on ‘Radio Star,'” indicating that he does not receive a ministerial-level salary or protocol.
Hearing this, Kim Gura inquired, “You don’t even get a salary; is it an honorary position?” Park Jin-young replied, “The workload is massive. I decided to take this opportunity to do something that can’t be achieved at a personal company level but on behalf of the entire K-pop industry. The burden varies depending on the government, as it may seem politically inclined. It’s fine for me alone, but there are the artists to consider,” mentioning his worries before accepting the chairman position.
Park Jin-young further mentioned, “That’s why I’ve managed not to reveal any political inclinations for 30 years, but since there are concerns, I’m thinking about speaking up.” He explained, “In capitalism, if the government doesn’t intervene, it greatly favors the wealthy. Therefore, progressive policies are necessary to protect powerless citizens. But if we overly protect compared to other countries, capitalists move elsewhere. To prevent this, conservative policies are essential.”
He emphasized, “Ultimately, it’s important to balance based on the times and other countries. I do not intend to belong to any faction, neither progressive nor conservative, just Park Jin-young. I will work hard.”
Park Jin-young also mentioned having many schedules aligning with the president, referring to the busy public service life. He humorously added, “When it’s not with the president, it’s state strategy meetings or summits,” but quickly remarked, “But for me, it’s Ras (Radio Star),” bringing laughter to the studio.
Meanwhile, during the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) period, Park Jin-young attended a Korea-China summit dinner as the co-chairman of the Committee for Cultural Exchange, where he met and conversed with Chinese President Xi Jinping.