Yoon Government Reshuffles Six Ministries Including Deputy Prime Minister for Economy
Ruling Party: "Reflects Yoon's Strong Will to Complete Reforms"
Opposition: "Election Candidates Flee... Rejecting People's Demand for Renewal"
The ruling and opposition parties issued conflicting comments regarding the cabinet reshuffle on December 4, which included the replacement of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy. The People Power Party expressed support, saying, "We hope this will become a new driving force for national governance," while the opposition harshly criticized it as a 'non-communicative reshuffle.'
On the 4th, Park Jeong-ha, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated, "Today, marking the third year of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, a cabinet reshuffle was carried out for six ministries," adding, "President Yoon Seok-yeol's strong will to work solely for the people and their livelihoods, and to fully commit to national achievements and reforms, is reflected in today's reshuffle."
President Yoon Suk-yeol reshuffled six ministers on the 4th, appointing Choi Sang-mok, former senior presidential secretary for economic affairs (photo top row, left), as the candidate for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance. President Yoon also nominated Kang Jeong-ae, former president of Sookmyung Women's University, as the candidate for Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (photo top row, second from left), Song Mi-ryeong, former senior research fellow at the Korea Rural Economic Institute, as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Park Sang-woo, former president of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (photo bottom row, left), as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Kang Do-hyung, president of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, and Oh Young-joo, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, as the candidate for Minister of SMEs and Startups. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Seok-yeol announced that Choi Sang-mok, former senior secretary for economic affairs at the Presidential Office, was nominated as Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Economy and Finance; Song Mi-ryeong, former senior research fellow at the Korea Rural Economic Institute, as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Park Sang-woo, former president of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Kang Do-hyung, president of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries; Oh Young-joo, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, as Minister of SMEs and Startups; and Kang Jeong-ae, former president of Sookmyung Women's University, as Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
Regarding this, spokesperson Park said, "All ministerial candidates were selected prioritizing expertise and capability to secure new momentum for national governance, and they are the best fit to accomplish national tasks and reforms," adding, "As the ruling party, the People Power Party will prepare to thoroughly verify the qualifications and abilities of the new ministerial candidates through confirmation hearings that meet the public's expectations."
He urged the opposition, saying, "The domestic and international conditions surrounding our economy remain challenging," and requested, "We ask for bipartisan cooperation to avoid reckless suspicion-mongering and obstruction during the confirmation hearings and to prevent any gaps in national governance."
The opposition party poured criticism on the government reshuffle, calling it a 'non-communicative reshuffle.' Kwon Chil-seung, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a briefing that afternoon, "This is a non-communicative reshuffle that clearly shows the government's intention to continue its unresponsiveness and unilateral rule by rejecting the people's demand for reform." In particular, he pointed out, "Appointing Choi Sang-mok, who was involved in the Park Geun-hye administration's state affairs manipulation scandal, as Deputy Prime Minister for Economy to oversee overall economic policy?are there really no other people? Is moral disqualification irrelevant as long as one faithfully follows the president's orders?"
Spokesperson Kwon also criticized, "What is most serious is that this reshuffle grants a pardon to those responsible for government failures, such as Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Choo Kyung-ho and Minister of Land Won Hee-ryong," adding, "It is like setting the stage to send people who should have been dismissed for their responsibility in government failures to the general election as the president's loyalists." He further warned, "The people will sternly judge President Yoon Seok-yeol's reshuffle, which only talks about change but actually refuses reform, a case of 'a wolf in sheep's clothing.'"
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