The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has called for the candidates to withdraw, saying they lack the necessary qualifications and morals.
However, according to South Korean media, there are also concerns that the two cabinet candidates who have been accused of power harassment and plagiarism in their papers cannot be protected, even from within the ruling party.
There are also voices saying that the National Assembly should not allow the candidates to attend the hearings, and future developments will be watched closely. The personnel hearings are a system in which the National Assembly examines the qualifications and capabilities of high-ranking public officials. South Korea introduced this system in 2000.
The attending lawmakers will examine whether the candidate is suitable for the position. Candidates for public office will be officially sworn in after passing this hearing. The personnel hearings for the 16 cabinet ministerial candidates nominated by President Lee in the new administration.
The election began on the 14th of this month. From the beginning, the ruling and opposition parties have been engaged in fierce attacks and sparring, with the largest opposition party, the People Power Party, arguing that several cabinet candidates, including those for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Education, are not suitable for the posts.
In particular, the party is stepping up its offensive against Kang Sun-woo, the candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family. Kang has repeatedly made unreasonable demands on his aides,
There are rumors of power harassment. During the five years that Kang served as a member of the National Assembly, he is accused of dismissing his aides 46 times. In addition, according to South Korean media, Kang has dismissed his aides
He is said to have had government officials sort his garbage and repair his toilets at home. A hearing for Kang was held on the 14th. The People Power Party lawmaker was accused of being the "king of power harassment."
They held up placards reading "Kang Sun-woo OUT" and demanded his withdrawal. The hearing continued until midnight. Kang was the subject of much controversy.
Regarding the allegations that he was involved in the scandal, he said it was a misunderstanding, but apologized for the first time, saying, "It was all due to my fault." However, the People Power Party has asked Kang to continue to decline.
The Korean National Council of Women's Organizations released a statement on the 16th, saying, "The 5 million members of the Korean National Council of Women's Organizations nationwide are the most important people who should be protected in the public service.
"We express deep regret over candidate Kang Sun-woo's attitude, which showed minimal respect and disregard for human rights, and strongly urge him to resign of his own accord."
Also, former Chungnam National University president Lee Jong-un was nominated as the candidate for Minister of Education.
Jin-sook is under suspicion of plagiarism in her thesis. A hearing for Lee was held on the 16th and she apologized, but according to the South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, a source from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said, "There are questions about Lee's thesis.
He said he believes there is a problem. It has become a card that cannot be defended. Hearings for ministerial candidates will end today, the 18th, but Song Eon-seok, the Democratic Party's most senior politician, said,
Regarding Kang Sun-woo and Lee Jin-sook, who are facing suspicions, the committee chair and floor leader said, "If they are appointed, it can only be seen as the whole of South Korea becoming President Lee's personal property."
On the 17th, the newspaper reported that "there are voices within the ruling party that a decision may soon be made on the future of at least one of the two candidates." According to the newspaper, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's executive
Under the guideline that "the hearing report for all Secretary candidates should not be processed exclusively without consultation with the opposition party," the report will be sent to the President's office after the end of today's hearing schedule and the trend of public opinion is observed.
The plan is to decide whether to convey their opinion. However, the paper also reported that "some ruling party lawmakers have reportedly individually conveyed their opinion that the two candidates are 'unsuitable' to the presidential office."
Lee, who took office on the 4th of last month, selected his cabinet nominees more quickly than previous administrations and held hearings to examine them. However, suspicions have recently emerged about some of the nominees.
If the candidate is deemed suitable at the confirmation hearing, the confirmation hearing report is adopted, the president makes the appointment, and the candidate officially takes office.
The president can still appoint new members, but this means that important posts will be filled by people who are deemed unqualified by the National Assembly. There are still a few hurdles to overcome before the Lee administration can appoint all of its cabinet members and form a cabinet.
2025/07/18 14:27 KST
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