[General Election Candidates] ② Bureaucrats... Star-Level Deputy Ministers Step Up as Relief Pitchers

16 Ministers and Vice Ministers Declare Candidacy Under 'Total Mobilization Order'
Negative Perception as Election Takes Priority Over National Intelligence

On April 10, the 22nd National Assembly election will see a large number of 'star-level ministers and vice ministers' running for office. High-ranking officials who combine competence and star power have stepped up as relief pitchers.

In every administration, the general election candidacy of officials such as ministers and vice ministers has been a regular occurrence. There is a reason for this. First, while serving as ministers, they gain high recognition due to frequent media exposure. Additionally, having served as high-ranking officials, they are highly regarded for their stability and policy capabilities. Moreover, they can present a fresh image to the public. Furthermore, the fact that ministers from the Yoon Seok-yeol administration are lining up to run in this election underscores that this general election is a turning point that will determine the fate of the administration. The ruling party aims to overcome the minority status in the National Assembly by fielding top-tier officials. This is the background behind the term 'total mobilization order.' A case in point is that all six ministers replaced by President Yoon on the 4th of last month are preparing to run in the general election.

Clash in Suwon City, the Barometer of Metropolitan Voter Sentiment

First, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Bang Beom-gyu is expected to throw his hat into the ring in Suwon, a tough district in the metropolitan area dominated by the opposition party. Minister Bang will hold a farewell ceremony at the Government Sejong Complex at 5 p.m. that day. He was appointed minister on September 20 last year after a confirmation hearing but was replaced in a record short period of 2 months and 28 days. Suwon City, with a current population of 1.2 million, is entirely held by the Democratic Party across all five constituencies (Gap, Eul, Byeong, Jeong, Mu). The ruling People Power Party, rolling up its sleeves to recruit Minister Bang, who is from Suwon, is likely to field him in the Gyeonggi Suwon-byeong constituency. The atmosphere is already heating up as to whether the People Power Party can reclaim the district with him at the forefront.

Former Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeong Hwang-geun registered as a preliminary candidate on the 29th of last month to run in his hometown of Cheonan, Chungnam. This area is considered a stronghold of the Democratic Party in Chungnam. A fierce contest is expected as independent lawmaker Park Wan-joo, who left the Democratic Party, and former Chungnam Governor Yang Seung-jo are rumored to be running here.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho is challenging for a third term in his constituency of Dalseong, Daegu. Former Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Cho Seung-hwan is throwing his hat into the ring in his hometown of Busan. Attention is also focused on where former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong will run. If former Minister Won runs in Incheon Gyeyang-eul, the constituency of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, it is analyzed that this could effectively tie down Lee in his district.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin is also joining the general election race. Minister Park, a 'four-term veteran lawmaker,' served three consecutive terms in Jongno from the 16th to the 18th National Assembly and currently holds the Gangnam-eul constituency in the 21st National Assembly. Former Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee Young also announced plans to run in a district held by a Democratic Party incumbent in Seoul, and former Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-sik is preparing to run in Yeongdeungpo-eul, Seoul.

Full-speed race for election victory, criticism of neglecting state affairs

Among the six vice minister-level officials replaced on the 27th of last month, four are also running in the general election. Former 2nd Vice Minister of Economy and Finance Kim Wan-seop is running in Wonju-eul, Gangwon; former 1st Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Oh-jin is running in his hometown of Dalseo-gap, Daegu; former Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Park Seong-hoon, who previously served as Busan's Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs and as Secretary for State Affairs Planning at the Presidential Office, is likely to run in Haeundae-gap, Busan. Former Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office Park Seong-geun is preparing to run in Jung-Yeongdo, Busan. Former Vice Minister of National Defense Shin Beom-cheol is expected to run in Cheonan-gap, Chungnam; former Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Han Chang-seop in Sangju-Mungyeong, Gyeongbuk; former Vice Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Yoon Jong-jin in Pohang-north, Gyeongbuk. Former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Ki-soon is preparing to run in the Chungcheong-Sejong area. The deadline for resigning from public office to run as a candidate in a constituency is the 11th of this month.

The successive candidacies of ministers and vice ministers are interpreted as President Yoon's all-out sprint for election victory, but there are also many critical views of this move. Some of the vice minister-level officials appointed on the 27th of last month have served less than six months. With ministers who have worked for as short as about two months being drafted into the election, there are criticisms that state affairs are being neglected.

Professor Lee Jun-han of the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Incheon National University said, "The candidacy of officials in the general election has the advantage of utilizing diverse government experience in the legislature. However, in a situation where high interest rates and high prices threaten the stability of people's livelihoods and urgent national issues are piling up, it can instill a negative perception among the public that elections take precedence over state affairs," adding, "It is difficult to escape criticism that public office was used for personal career building or election candidacy."

There are also concerns that the successive general election candidacies of star-level ministers will be a 'double-edged sword.' Specially Appointed Professor Lee Pil-sang of Seoul National University said, "It is a situation where all means and methods are being used unconditionally to win the election," and warned, "There is a risk that populist policies will run rampant or that policies including economic ones will take on a political character. Urgently needed reforms may be pushed aside, causing significant side effects."