The National Assembly began confirmation hearings Monday for the first round of President Lee Jae Myung’s Cabinet nominees, with the main opposition People Power Party vowing to conduct a rigorous review of each candidate.
Among those drawing the most attention are Education Minister nominee Lee Jin-sook and Gender Equality Minister nominee Rep. Kang Sun-woo, both of whom face allegations of misconduct.
Lee, who served as president of Chungnam National University in South Chungcheong Province, is accused of plagiarizing graduate students’ papers, which the People Power Party has likened to a "crime of abuse of power."
As someone who violated academic ethical standards and abused her position as a professor to dress up her students’ work as her own, the education minister nominee is unfit for the job, the People Power Party has said.
Kang allegedly mistreated aides and assistants at her legislative office, such as by forcing them to run errands that fell outside their official duties, including the disposal of food garbage and fixing a broken toilet, according to anonymous interviews given by former members of her staff to local media.
Kang, in response, has said that she would take legal action against two of her former staff members for "providing the press with false information."
Because the position inherently involves working for the rights of the socially disadvantaged, Kang is not suitable to be gender equality minister, the minor opposition Korean Democratic Labor Party commented.
Legislative workers of the People Power Party staged a protest outside the chamber where the Assembly hearing for Kang unfolded Monday, saying if she was confirmed as the gender equality minister, it would serve as a "powerful signal that such workplace abuses can be condoned."
Both nominees have denied the allegations.
At the hearing on Monday, Kang said she apologizes to "all legislative staff hurt by the controversy." "I humbly accept my shortcomings, and I will use this occasion as a foundation to lead my life with more care and consideration for others," the nominee said.
The hearing for the education minister nominee is slated for Wednesday.
While the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has dismissed the allegations surrounding the nominees as a "malicious smear campaign" by opposition figures, the People Power Party argues these issues would have disqualified a Cabinet nominee under any other administration.
The presidential office has not taken a definitive stance on the allegations that have emerged so far, telling a press briefing Sunday that "these issues are expected to be addressed at confirmation hearings."
But considering Lee, elected June 3, is still enjoying a honeymoon period and holds powerful sway over the Democratic Party, the president is likely to be able to hang on to most of his Cabinet choices.
The Democratic Party also controls well over half of the National Assembly seats, making the confirmation process easier for the nominees.
On July 3, the Democratic Party voted to approve Lee’s nomination of Kim Min-seok as prime minister in the absence of the People Power Party representatives, who boycotted the vote, citing the nominee’s lack of suitability for public office. Over his two-day hearing, Kim was grilled about past convictions in 2005 and 2010 over crimes involving political donors, as well as discrepancies in his tax returns.
The People Power Party has complained that Lee’s Cabinet nominees are refusing to adequately respond to Assembly members’ questions concerning various allegations, despite the submission of responses in advance being a standard practice for the confirmation hearings. The Democratic Party has also turned down People Power Party requests to summon witnesses to provide their accounts on key allegations facing the nominees, including Kang’s former aides, the People Power Party said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party submitted a bill seeking to revise the law on confirmation hearings to ban publicizing Cabinet-level nominees’ "personal issues," which the People Power Party has said would "incapacitate the confirmation process."
arin@heraldcorp.com
