A confirmation hearing for Kim Moon-soo, the nominee for Minister of Employment and Labor, will be held in the National Assembly. The ruling party views Kim as the right person to lead the labor reforms promoted by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, but the opposition party is expected to engage in fierce debate, arguing that he is an inappropriate nominee due to his anti-labor actions and far-right views.
Kim Moon-soo, nominee for Minister of Employment and Labor, is answering reporters' questions on the 1st at the Seoul Gangnam Employment and Labor Office, where the hearing preparation office is located. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee will conduct the confirmation hearing for Kim on the morning of the 26th at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. This comes about a month after President Yoon nominated Kim as the successor to Lee Jeong-sik, the former Minister of Employment and Labor, on the 31st of last month. Both ruling and opposition parties plan to focus on scrutinizing Kim's policy capabilities during the hearing.
The ruling party regards Kim as the right person for labor reform. Im E-ja, a member of the Environment and Labor Committee from the People Power Party, said on KBS Radio's 'Jeonggyeok Sisa' on the 9th, "(Kim) has considerable ability and political sensibility as an administrator and public official," adding, "No matter how you look at his life trajectory, he has never taken an anti-labor stance, nor does he have any blemishes such as illicit wealth accumulation or false address registration."
However, the opposition plans to conduct pinpoint scrutiny focusing on Kim's past inappropriate remarks. Considering his continuous anti-labor statements, they argue that Kim is unsuitable to serve as Minister of Employment and Labor. In 2009, during his tenure as Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Kim referred to the striking Ssangyong Motor union as a "suicide squad." Furthermore, in 2022, he stated on his YouTube channel that "a damage compensation bomb is the best remedy for illegal strikes." On the 1st, as he arrived at the office prepared for the hearing in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Kim told reporters, "I want to ask what exactly anti-labor means," and defended himself by saying, "It is only right to take responsibility for the damages caused by strikes."
Controversy has also arisen over his 'far-right views.' In 2021, Kim referred to General Hong Beom-do on his social media as a "Soviet Communist who massacred hundreds of independence fighters." In a written response submitted to the National Assembly on the 24th, Kim explained, "My remarks were made with the intent to highlight the insufficient evaluation of former President Rhee Syng-man's achievements." This is interpreted as an opinion that the Moon Jae-in administration disparaged former President Rhee while emphasizing General Hong's accomplishments. Additionally, Kim has made remarks such as "Those who stage death rituals like the Sewol ferry incident should step down" and "There was no country in 1919 as it was the Japanese colonial era."
Yoon Jong-gun, the Democratic Party floor spokesperson, said at a press conference at the National Assembly on the same day, "The confirmation hearing is not a mere formality to legitimize a far-right YouTuber," adding, "Pushing forward a candidate without qualifications will only provoke public anger."
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