President Lee Jae Myung faces calls to cancel some ministerial picks as he moves to fill Cabinet posts, with close attention being paid to whether the top executive will defy the criticism raised against the nominees or give in under pressure.
The conservative main opposition People Power Party's interim leader, Rep. Song Eon-seog, demanded that Lee not proceed with at least two nominees at a closed-door meeting Saturday with Lee and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's Floor Leader Rep. Kim Byung-kee, according to the People Power Party on Sunday.
People Power Party floor spokesperson Rep. Park Sung-hoon suggested Sunday that Lee had essentially brushed aside his demand, replying only that he would "think about it," adding that he was "concerned that the Lee administration was neglecting people's voices."
This came alongside the main opposition party's statement Sunday that the presidential nominations of Rep. Kang Sun-woo to lead the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and former Chungnam National University President Lee Jin-sook for education minister should be withdrawn.
In South Korea, Cabinet ministers are required to undergo a parliamentary confirmation hearing, although their appointment is not actually contingent on the Assembly's approval. If bipartisan consensus is reached and the parties agree on a presidential nomination within three days of the hearing, they adopt a confirmation hearing report, but it is not necessary for a president to proceed with the appointment.
Kang, a two-time lawmaker in the Democratic Party, is suspected of having abused her authority by asking secretaries to do her personal chores and by making false statements at the hearing to conceal wrongdoings. Education minister nominee Lee, on the other hand, is embroiled in allegations related to academic plagiarism and excessive spending on her children's education overseas, which allegedly involved a violation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Regarding the brewing controversy over the nominations of Kang and Lee, the liberal-leaning Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice demanded in a statement Saturday that President Lee "immediately scrap the nominations" of the embattled nominees, as they apparently do not intend to withdraw despite "huge flaws" exposed over the course of the confirmation hearings.
This came in line with similar accusations by other groups, including those representing the secretaries to South Korean lawmakers and a group of professors dedicated to plagiarism checks of public figures.
However, Rep. Jung Chung-rae, who has emerged as the top candidate to be the next leader of the Democratic Party, described Kang as "a warmhearted mother and outstanding lawmaker," as well as the "soon-to-be gender equality minister." This showed contrast from his main rival for the party's top post, former whip Rep. Park Chan-dae, who called for prudence before presidential confirmation.
Meanwhile, Rep. Kang Deuk-gu of the liberal ruling party called for Education Minister nominee Lee to voluntarily withdraw from consideration, saying in a Facebook post Saturday that turning a blind eye to criticisms against the nominees "will later stand in the way of the Lee administration's reform drive."
According to the presidential office, Lee Jae Myung was to make up his mind on his nominations following closed-door briefing over the aftermath of the confirmation hearings on Sunday. His decision had yet to be announced as of press time.
Meanwhile, such controversies appear to have had little impact on Lee's popularity.
A poll by Gallup Korea showed Friday that Lee's job approval rating reached 64 percent, as responses hovered around the mid-60 percent range over the past month. Among those who disapproved of Lee's performance, only 11 percent cited his presidential nominations as the reason for their disapproval.
Before Sunday, Lee finalized the appointments of six ministers of the Cabinet, after Prime Minister Kim Min-seok gained final presidential confirmation on July 3.
Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yoon-cheol, Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung have been formally appointed.
The aforementioned six were among 16 ministerial nominees who underwent confirmation hearings throughout the previous week. Along with them, Lim Kwang-hyun, who was picked for the role of the chief of the tax authority — a vice-ministerial position — also had a hearing.
South Korea's Cabinet currently comprises 20 members, including the prime minister and 19 ministers.
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