Geum Tae-seop "Friend Hwang Hee, Demands Apology for Abstaining on the Corruption Investigation Office Act, Claiming Our Side's Position"

"Did a Pro-Moon Lawmaker Without Experience Ever Imagine Being Nominated as Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism?"

Former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop who left the Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop, who left the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Hwang Hee, the nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, on the 21st, saying, "When the Moon Jae-in administration was launched, who would have imagined that in the fourth year of the administration, a pro-Moon (친문) lawmaker with no relevant experience would be nominated as the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, of all departments?"

In a post on his Facebook that day, former lawmaker Geum said, "I seriously doubt whether there are ministers with 'souls' in other ministries as well. I really don't know what is different from the past," expressing his opinion.

He opened by saying about nominee Hwang, "He is generally easygoing," and "Although he carries the label of a 'pro-Moon lawmaker,' he rarely shows it outwardly. We are the same age and got along like friends."

He continued, "However, not everything is decided by personal character alone. It was during the time when candidate nominations were actively underway ahead of the last general election," recalling, "There was a lot of talk about Jeong Bong-ju coming to our district, Kim Nam-guk coming, and so on."

Former lawmaker Geum wrote, "Among the incumbent lawmakers' districts with multiple nomination applicants, ours was the only one where the party accepted additional nomination applications, which made me concerned. During that time, Hwang called me," and added, "He suggested that I publicly apologize for abstaining from the vote on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO)."

He explained, "Since we were like friends, I thought I could talk about such things freely. I took it lightly and instead of taking a principled stance, I said, 'Hey, if I apologize before the nomination, it will look like the party forced me to do it, which is bad for the party and it doesn't look good for me,' and I was about to hang up," but "Hwang then seriously said, 'This is not advice from a friend but a position conveyed from our side. Is your answer that you will not apologize?'"

Former lawmaker Geum said, "I was surprised by the tone, which was unlike usual and seemed like an official confirmation, but I did not show it and simply answered again that I would not apologize, then hung up," adding, "I still do not know exactly who 'our side' that Hwang mentioned refers to. I also do not know what role Hwang played in the process of 'organizing the position' on that side."

He continued, "After that, I heard through various channels from the party that if I publicly apologized for the CIO vote, they would 'settle' the nomination issue. Of course, I firmly refused," and sarcastically added, "Since then, I have perceived Hwang as 'the person who conveys the organized position of that side.'"

He then said, "I do not necessarily think that a minister nominee must be an expert in the field or have relevant experience. Someone with administrative experience or outstanding political skills could solve long-standing problems," but "Regarding the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's work, we have a painful scar symbolized by the 'blacklist.' The hearts of the citizens who held candles in the square were not about 'let's make a blacklist favorable to our side this time.' There must have been a natural demand that the cultural and artistic community enjoy a free atmosphere unaffected by the direction of the administration. Considering this background, is it really desirable for someone who played a role in conveying one side's position to come to the head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism?" he questioned.

Former lawmaker Geum said, "The expectations we had when the Moon administration came in are really falling apart. Especially personnel issues," and criticized, "They make excuses that excellent people avoid the posts, but have they thought about why those people avoid them?"

He continued, "If the minister had created an atmosphere where they could work with conviction and according to principles, would it have been difficult to find a candidate? What people hoped for in the government after the impeachment was fair and principled administration, a culture where public officials could work with conviction, and a culture where people with diverse backgrounds and thoughts could freely debate," but "this government has been criticized as a 'Blue House government' from the start and has never corrected its arrogance until the end," he sharply criticized.

Earlier, President Moon reshuffled three ministries including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups the day before.

The nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism was Hwang Hee, a Democratic Party lawmaker. The nominee for Minister of Foreign Affairs was Jeong Eui-yong, the President's Special Advisor for Foreign Affairs and Security, and the nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups was Kwon Chil-seung, a Democratic Party lawmaker.