J.Y. Park, also known as Park Jin Young, has revealed that he refused all minister-level benefits after accepting his new position as Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange.
Appearing on MBC’s Radio Star on November 5th, Park shared the story behind his appointment and why he chose to turn down the perks. The singer-producer recently accepted the post under President Lee Jae Myung’s administration—a position classified as “minister-level,” sparking widespread attention.
“At first, they offered me a full-time position, but I was so busy that I turned it down for three months,” Park said. “Chief of Staff Kang Hoon Sik kept coming back with solutions to every excuse I gave, until there was really no way to say no. Still, it felt like too much responsibility for such a high-level government post.”
Host Kim Gura asked if the minister-level title came with benefits such as an official car, to which Park replied, “I declined them all. I could also receive a salary if it were a full-time position, but how could I? I’m still a singer and do shows like ‘Radio Star.’”
“For 30 years, I’ve never revealed my political stance,” he explained. “If I had to sum up my beliefs—capitalism favors the wealthy unless the government steps in to protect the working class, so progressive policies are necessary. But if a country overprotects, investors leave, so conservative policies are also essential. Balance is key.”
He added, “I don’t belong to any side—I’m not progressive or conservative. I’m just J.Y. Park, and I’ll work hard.”
Earlier, Park attended the Korea–China leaders’ banquet during the APEC Summit as co-chair of the Popular Cultural Exchange Committee, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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