Hong Ik-pyo: "Kim Myung-soo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, plays golf and trades stocks during North Korean missile provocations... must resign"

"Handonghun, Responsible for Personnel Verification Failures"

Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 16th demanded the voluntary resignation of Kim Myung-soo, the nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, citing suspicions of stock trading and golf during North Korea's missile provocations, as well as allegations of his daughter's involvement in school violence.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At a policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly, Floor Leader Hong said, "Should we really appoint someone who is engrossed in golf and stock trading as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who commands and supervises operational units and is responsible for integrated defense?" He added, "It is appropriate for nominee Kim to voluntarily resign or for the President to withdraw the nomination."

He pointed out, "In March 2022, when North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, the nominee was playing golf. Between September and December 2022, a period when North Korea's missile provocations were concentrated, he used the military golf course 18 times." Furthermore, he said, "Even during the large-scale search operation by the Coast Guard and Navy following the September 2020 West Sea shooting incident, the nominee was playing golf again. He also traded stocks while on duty." He emphasized, "The bigger problem is that he did so even on January 17, 2022, when North Korea conducted a ballistic missile provocation."

Floor Leader Hong questioned, "If the Minister of National Defense trades stocks while on duty, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also trades stocks during duty, especially amid North Korea's provocations, how can the military maintain discipline among soldiers on the front lines responsible for guard duty and security?"

He added, "If personnel appointments continue like this, it might be better to disband the Personnel Information Management Division of the Ministry of Justice," and said, "Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon should take responsibility for the failure in personnel verification."

He continued, "President Yoon Seok-yeol should immediately withdraw the nomination of Kim Myung-soo," and criticized, "The nomination of Kim Myung-soo is a total personnel failure of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration."

He stressed, "Nominee Kim Myung-soo himself should voluntarily resign for the honor of the military," and added, "The Democratic Party will use the authority granted by the Constitution and the people to the National Assembly to prevent the appointment of an unqualified candidate."