Receiving the ball passed by Moon, ruling party freshman says "At least one person should be recommended as unfit to Cheong"

First-Term Lawmakers Group Deomincho Officially Demands
“Ineligibility Recommendation to Cheong” from Leadership
Party Leadership Separately Conveys
‘Inevitable to Lose at Least One Candidate’ Opinion

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The ruling party has officially shown signs of rebellion against President Moon Jae-in’s move to “push through appointments” of three ministerial candidates amid disqualification controversies. The group of first-term lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea, known as ‘Deomincho,’ held a meeting on the morning of the 12th and reached a consensus to “strongly recommend to the Blue House that at least one candidate is unqualified,” according to Deomincho’s secretary, Assemblyman Ko Young-in, who briefed reporters after the meeting.

When asked who they demanded to be dropped, Assemblyman Ko did not specify any individual but said, “We agreed that a strict standard matching the public’s expectations must be respected, and concluded that at least one candidate is unqualified.” The three controversial candidates are Im Hye-sook for the Ministry of Science and ICT, Noh Hyung-wook for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Park Jun-young for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Not only the first-term lawmakers’ group but also the party leadership reportedly conveyed to the Blue House that “at least one candidate’s dismissal is inevitable.” The Blue House responded, “We have not confirmed any official communication on this matter.”

This series of developments reflects a significant shift in the party’s internal atmosphere compared to the Democratic Party’s general assembly on the 10th, where the consensus was that “there are no special disqualifying reasons for the three candidates.” Particularly, the negative public opinion stemming from the current administration’s 29 instances of pushing through appointments without opposition party consent, including the adoption of personnel hearing reports, seems to have weighed heavily on the lawmakers. Previously, President Moon requested the National Assembly to resend the personnel hearing reports by the 14th, and discussions are expected to continue until then.

Although President Moon’s request for resubmission of the reports confirmed his intention to push through the appointments, it is burdensome for the Democratic Party to comply easily. If the president proceeds with these appointments, it could lead to another ‘strong confrontation’ between the ruling and opposition parties during the confirmation of Prime Minister nominee Kim Boo-kyum, the hearing for Prosecutor General nominee Kim Oh-soo, and renegotiations over the parliamentary organization. On the morning of the same day, Democratic Party Assemblyman Lee Sang-min appeared on KBS Radio’s “Choi Kang’s Current Affairs” and said, “I oppose the appointment of some ‘unqualified’ ministerial candidates,” urging Party Leader Song Young-gil and Floor Leader Yoon Ho-jung, “This is a matter of decision, not a time for further deliberation.”

Meanwhile, on the 14th, the deadline for resubmitting the reports, President Moon will hold his first meeting with the party leadership. The leadership, including Leader Song, is expected to gather internal opinions by that day and present the final stance to the president. Given that Leader Song has mentioned ‘party-led governance,’ it currently seems likely that voices calling to “drop at least one candidate” as gathered by the first-term lawmakers will be raised. President Moon’s response to this could significantly affect not only inter-party relations and political deadlock but also the direction of the relationship between the party and the Blue House.