Prime Minister Followed by Ministers Under Scrutiny... Lone Star Involvement and Ministry of Gender Equality Reform on the Table

Verification of 8 Candidates Begins in National Assembly
Few Politicians Among Them
Unexpected Allegations May Become Sudden Variables

Park Ji-hyun, Co-Chair of the Emergency Response Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 11th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Hyunju Lee and Hyunji Kwon] Following Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo, the National Assembly's scrutiny of the eight first-round ministerial nominees appointed on the 10th is set to begin in earnest. Due to the relatively few nominees with political backgrounds, unexpected individual allegations that have not surfaced during the confirmation hearings may become unforeseen variables.

According to political circles on the 11th, the ministerial confirmation hearings are expected to focus more on nominees who have been in the private sector rather than those with recent political careers. This is because those from the private sector are more likely to have lacked self-management and may face intense scrutiny. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance nominee Choo Kyung-ho is expected to be examined over allegations related to the ‘Lone Star incident.’ Choo was involved as the head of the Banking System Division at the Ministry of Finance and Economy in 2003 when the U.S.-based hedge fund Lone Star acquired Korea Exchange Bank at a low price. The confirmation hearing for Kim Hyun-sook, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is expected to see a fierce confrontation between ruling and opposition parties over the direction of the ministry’s reorganization. Although the Democratic Party and the Justice Party have not presented specific proposals regarding the reorganization, they are expected to oppose transferring the ministry’s functions to other departments or establishing a committee, instead demanding strengthening the ministry’s role beyond being solely responsible for gender equality policies.

Lee Chang-yang, nominee for Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, who faced public criticism even before his appointment was announced, is expected to face controversy over his past media article advocating for a "childbirth avoidance burden charge." In the article, he stated, "From an economic perspective, introducing a burden charge on those who have the economic means but avoid childbirth could be a meaningful policy alternative."

Park Bo-gyun, nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and a former journalist, is recognized for redefining the cultural value and significance of the Korean Empire’s Consulate in Washington D.C. through his 2005 book, "Living and Breathing American History." However, aside from overseas cultural assets, his connection to the culture, sports, and tourism sectors is relatively weak. During Park’s confirmation hearing, his past columns highlighting President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol’s presence are expected to attract attention.

For Lee Jong-ho, nominee for Minister of Science and ICT, attention is focused on the scale and details of his disclosed assets. It is known that he received a substantial compensation amount from a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics. As a former national university professor, his overseas travel, research funding accounting, and potential plagiarism in papers are also expected to be scrutinized.

Jeong Ho-young, nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare and a peer and ‘40-year acquaintance’ of President-elect Yoon, received high praise for his leadership and response as director of Kyungpook National University Hospital, a regional base tertiary hospital, during the surge of COVID-19 cases in Daegu in February 2020. With COVID-19 not yet over, expectations are high regarding how he will reorganize health, medical, and infectious disease policies as a physician minister while promoting the full lifting of social distancing and the return to normal life. However, as an expert in clinical practice and medical administration, financial and welfare-related policies such as national pension reform, considered one of the early tasks for the new administration, are likely to be pursued through subsequent vice minister-level appointments.

Meanwhile, during Han Duck-soo’s confirmation hearing, scrutiny is expected over suspicions related to the 1.8 billion won high advisory fees he received while serving as a legal advisor at Kim & Chang law firm and the leasing of his personal residence to the U.S. telecommunications company AT&T. Speculation has arisen that Han, who was a director at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy when leasing the house to AT&T, may have been involved in the ‘AT&T preferential treatment suspicion.’