South Korea's Lee administration begins full-scale preparations for new cabinet position: nominates prime minister and 11 other cabinet candidates

On the 4th of this month, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung appointed Kim Min Seok, a close aide to the prime minister, as the Supreme Committee member of the Democratic Party of Korea. There have been many rumors surrounding Kim's assets and family.
The opposition parties are expected to grill him on the allegations at the two-day personnel hearings that will begin today, the 24th. The Lee administration also appointed 11 ministers, including those for national defense and foreign affairs, on the 23rd.
The candidates for the Ministry of National Defense have been selected as the Minister of National Defense, and non-military officer Ahn Gyu-bae has been nominated. If Ahn takes office, he will be the first former civilian member to become Minister of National Defense in 54 years.
He will be officially inaugurated after a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly. In South Korea, the prime minister is the second in power after the president, and Kim, who was nominated by Lee as the candidate for prime minister, is 61 years old and a former member of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. While studying at Seoul University, he was the head of the national parliament.
He was involved in student activism, including serving as chairman of the Student Union. He was a leader of the democratization movement and was even imprisoned. On the other hand, about 25 years ago, he was named "No. 1 Leader of the 21st Century" by the US Newsweek magazine.
He was named one of the "100 Most Powerful People in the World" and was said to be a future presidential candidate. He served as a senior member of Lee's campaign team in the 2022 presidential election, when Lee ran, and in the current presidential election held on June 3. Lee is also known as one of his close aides.
He also explained the reason for his nomination, saying that Kim "has insight into national politics in general." Although Kim's assets have increased by about 800 million yen compared to five years ago, there are concerns that the details of his reported income do not match those of his assets.
There are suspicions that Kim's children received special treatment in university admissions, as well as suspicions that he is involved in assets. However, Kim has refuted the various allegations surrounding him.
"I will explain each of these things publicly every day and ask for the public's judgment," he wrote in his NS. The opposition party has criticized Kim for being unfit to hold public office and is preparing to pursue the allegations.
Kim held a press conference for foreign media in Seoul on the 17th. Referring to Japan-Korea relations, he said, "Although there have been many twists and turns, we have consistently maintained good relations."
At the press conference, he named Taro Kono, former foreign minister, and Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to the prime minister, as "friends with whom I have had 20 to 30 years of contact," and said, "We have discussed the future of Korea-Japan relations together." However,
Kim is also known for his anti-Japanese behavior. During the Moon Jae-in administration, he was appointed head of the Special Countermeasures Against Japanese Economic Aggression, a group established by the South Korean government in response to Japan's export restrictions on semiconductor materials.
At the time, Kim said, "If the Abe administration does not stop its economic warfare and apologize for historical issues, we will boycott the Tokyo Olympics."
Following the nomination of the prime ministerial candidate, Lee announced his cabinet candidates on the 23rd. Ahn, who was nominated as minister of national defense, is a non-military former member. He is a veteran member of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and is currently serving his fifth term.
He served as the party's secretary-general and supreme committee member, and was a past chairman of the National Defense Committee in the National Assembly. During the previous administration of Yoon Seok-yeol, he was accused of being racist towards the military because the military was involved in Yoon's declaration of "emergency martial law."
There have been calls for strengthening civilian control. The President's Office explained the reason for appointing Ahn, saying, "He is well versed in military policy, having served as secretary and chairman of the National Assembly's Defense Committee.
"As a non-military former member, he is expected to play a leading role in military reform," the ministry said. Cho Hyun was nominated as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Cho served as second and first vice minister of foreign affairs in the Moon administration.
He is a diplomat and was involved in the negotiations for the Japan-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He has served as the ambassador to India and the United Nations. Regarding Lee's aim in nominating Cho, the public broadcaster KBS said, "He has a long history of international relations.
"His experience in international negotiations is being highly evaluated," he explained. In addition, on the 23rd, the nominees for ministers of 11 other ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Science, ICT and Communication, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, were announced. All cabinet members except the prime minister have been appointed.
The appointment does not require approval from the National Assembly, but will be examined at a personnel hearing in which members of the National Assembly will ask questions. The personnel hearing for Kim, a candidate for prime minister, will be held for two days starting today, the 24th.
The news agency reported, "The ruling and opposition parties are expected to engage in a heated debate at the hearing over allegations regarding Kim's assets, family and other matters."