Yoon on Kim Seung-hee Controversy: "Will Discuss with Advisors and Reach a Swift Conclusion" (Comprehensive)

"Professionalism and Competence, Selected Without Gaps"… The Cause of the President's Sharp Approval Rating Drop 'Personnel', Cannot Be Ignored

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] President Yoon Seok-yeol expressed his intention to "swiftly reach a conclusion" regarding the appointment of Kim Seung-hee as Minister of Health and Welfare. Currently, candidate Kim is under investigation by the prosecution for alleged violations of the Political Funds Act, sparking controversy over her morality. Likewise, Park Soon-ae, candidate for Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is facing allegations of power abuse and past drunk driving controversies.

On the morning of the 4th, while heading to the Yongsan Presidential Office, President Yoon responded to reporters' questions about the possibility of appointing candidate Kim by saying, "If there is one requirement most demanded of appointed public officials, it is expertise and capability in the duties they are assigned," adding, "Our government confidently claims to have selected candidates without any gaps in that regard." This statement clearly distinguished his administration’s personnel decisions from the controversies of the previous government, asserting that the selection of candidate Kim as Minister of Health and Welfare was optimal in terms of capability.

However, President Yoon also said, "In terms of morality, the appointments pushed through by the previous government cannot be compared," but added, "However, our government is different. I will discuss this with my aides and colleagues," leaving room for consideration. This fuels speculation that Park may be appointed while Kim could be forced to withdraw voluntarily. There is also a sentiment within the Presidential Office that appointing both candidates would be burdensome.

Although President Yoon stated on the same day that he was "not particularly concerned" about the recent decline in government approval ratings during his election campaign and described it as "not very meaningful," the atmosphere inside the Presidential Office is different. Considering that public opinion polls have identified 'personnel appointments' as the main cause of the sharp drop in President Yoon’s approval ratings, the morality controversies surrounding the two candidates inevitably represent a burden.

The Presidential Office currently judges that Park’s drunk driving controversy is unlikely to be grounds for exclusion from appointment. Park was caught for drunk driving in December 2001, which does not fall under the previous administration’s personnel standards (which exclude candidates caught for drunk driving two or more times within the last 10 years or who have falsified their status). The deadline for resubmitting the parliamentary personnel hearing report on candidate Park was the 29th of last month.

First, President Yoon is expected to appoint Kim Seung-gyeom, candidate for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, within the day. This decision is based on the judgment that it is difficult to leave the position of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, who exercises military command authority, vacant for a long time amid ongoing security crises caused by North Korea’s successive provocations. This will be the second appointment without a hearing under the new government, following Kim Chang-gi, Commissioner of the National Tax Service. Before departing for Spain, President Yoon also stated, "The position of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman cannot be left vacant for long." The retirement of the previous Chairman, Won In-chul, is also on the 4th.