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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

People Power Party leader demands withdrawal of four ‘unqualified’ ministerial nominees

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Jang Dong-hyuk criticized nominees for justice, finance, transport and gender equality and family portfolios, calling President Lee Jae-myung’s reshuffle contrary to public sentiment.
  • He accused the nominees of supporting policies involving prosecution cancellations, real-estate taxation and housing, while also attacking nominee Yong Hye-in over her political affiliations and a past honeymoon-fundraising controversy.
  • Jang and floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik said the party would scrutinize the nominees at confirmation hearings and demanded broader changes to the presidential office and Cabinet.

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk named four ministerial nominees and told President Lee Jae-myung to withdraw them before parliamentary hearings, warning that the nominees would otherwise face public embarrassment during confirmation proceedings.

At a party leadership meeting in the National Assembly, Jang described Lee’s latest reshuffle as a surprise move that ran against public sentiment. He singled out Kim Seung-won, nominated as justice minister; Lee Hyeong-il, nominated as deputy prime minister and finance minister; Hong Ji-sun, nominated as transport minister; and Yong Hye-in, nominated as minister of gender equality and family.

Jang accused Kim of leading a group seeking the cancellation of prosecutions and said the nominee was committed to canceling trials despite public opposition. He called Lee the main culprit behind what he described as a “real-estate tax bomb” and criticized Hong as the designer of Lee’s basic housing policy in Gyeonggi Province.

To avoid the humiliation of the confirmation hearings, the unqualified nominees should be withdrawn now.

— Jang Dong-hyukThe People Power Party leader demanded that four nominees be withdrawn before parliamentary hearings.

He also attacked Yong, saying anger among people in their 20s and 30s had passed a critical point. Jang said the government was trying to assemble a left-wing coalition by bringing together figures associated with the pro-Moon Jae-in camp, Cho Kuk and the Basic Income Party. He vowed a thorough review of each nominee and called for a Cabinet and presidential office made up of people who reflected public opinion.

Other People Power Party officials joined the criticism. Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik called the reshuffle an effort to protect approval ratings and Lee rather than revive the economy. Kim Jae-won raised questions about Yong’s past efforts to collect honeymoon donations, while Shin Dong-wook criticized the prominence of basic income and basic housing policies.

There are countless reasons why our laws and institutions have remained at this level, but we cannot simply leave things as they are.

— Jang Dong-hyukThis quote was not from Jang Dong-hyuk.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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