President Moon Appoints Three Minister-Level Officials Including Ministers of Justice, Environment, and Veterans Affairs... Strategic Move Considering Politician Appointments, Confirmation Hearings, and Policy Execution Capability
[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] Park Beom-gye, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and a judicial training institute classmate (23rd class) of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, has been nominated as the new Minister of Justice. He is a figure who can maintain the reform agenda of power institutions, especially prosecutorial reform, which President Moon Jae-in is keen on, while easing tensions between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution.
The main feature of the ministerial-level personnel announced on the 30th by Jeong Man-ho, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, is the appointment of politicians. It is noteworthy that this was not a 'one-point' personnel change just to nominate a successor to Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, but a reshuffle involving three ministerial-level appointments. Han Jeong-ae, a two-term Democratic Party lawmaker, was nominated as Minister of Environment.
Hwang Ki-chul, former Chief of Naval Operations and chairman of the Democratic Party’s Special Committee on National Defense and Security, can also broadly be considered a political appointee. He ran for the National Assembly seat in Changwon Jinhae District, Gyeongnam, in the 21st general election, achieving a high vote share of 48.9% but was defeated. Hwang Ki-chul, nominated as head of the Veterans Affairs, is a military figure who served as Chief of Naval Operations, Superintendent of the Naval Academy, and Commander of Naval Operations.
The biggest focus was the appointment of the Minister of Justice. There was speculation that So Byeong-cheol, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former Daegu High Prosecutors’ Office chief, might be appointed. So is a senior prosecutor to Prosecutor General Yoon and has extensive prosecutorial experience. However, President Moon chose Park Beom-gye, a former judge. Park, nominated as Minister of Justice, previously served as the Secretary for Civil Affairs during the participatory government and has a close connection with President Moon.
A senior Blue House official analyzed the Justice Minister appointment, saying, "Rather than focusing on origin or personal relationships, it is about the candidate’s past activities. In Park Beom-gye’s case, he served as the Blue House Legal Secretary, was the floor leader of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and was active in the National Assembly’s Judicial Reform Special Committee, so he understands the Ministry of Justice and prosecution better than anyone else. In that sense, he seems to be the right person for the position."
Park is a classmate of Prosecutor General Yoon at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Although the relationship between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution is unlikely to improve rapidly with the new minister’s appointment, it is expected not to escalate into unnecessary tension.
Minister Choo Mi-ae has decided to fulfill her 'final duties.' A senior Blue House official explained, "Minister Choo Mi-ae will carry out her final duties according to the usual procedure until the new Minister of Justice is appointed after the (National Assembly) confirmation hearing."
Considering the National Assembly confirmation hearing process, there is a possibility that she will continue as Minister of Justice until mid-January. This means Minister Choo could retire after completing the regular prosecutorial personnel reshuffle scheduled for January.
Han Jeong-ae, the nominee for Minister of Environment, is a labor figure who served as head of external cooperation at the Federation of Korean Trade Unions. She has expanded her political activity based on proven leadership and political acumen. She has a solid local base, having been consecutively elected in the 20th and 21st general elections in the Gangseo-gu B district of Seoul. Han’s appointment is also related to President Moon’s emphasized 2050 carbon neutrality project.
Senior Secretary Jeong Man-ho said, "She has a deep understanding of environmental policies through her activities as floor leader of the Environment and Labor Committee and co-chair of the National Assembly Climate Change Forum," adding, "Based on her outstanding expertise and work drive, she will focus on promoting the ‘2050 Long-term Low Carbon Development Strategy’ to address the urgent climate crisis."
Hwang Ki-chul, nominated as head of the Veterans Affairs, is a figure who has worked closely with the political sphere while serving as chairman of the ruling party’s Special Committee on National Defense and Security. Senior Secretary Jeong said, "He successfully commanded the Dawn of Aden operation and contributed to fostering a veterans’ culture through support for naval military families and compensation for victims of Agent Orange."
Jeong added, "He is expected to successfully complete veterans’ affairs innovation tasks, including appropriate and responsible support for sacrifices and dedication to the nation, and contributing to national unity through balance among the three areas of independence, national defense, and democracy."
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