Former Minister Sang-min Lee Resigns on the 8th... Deputy Minister Acting
Attention on Budget and Execution of Key Policies Next Year
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has once again become a 'headless ministry.' With former Minister Lee Sang-min's resignation accepted by the president, key tasks such as budget restoration and administrative system reorganization will now be prepared under an acting leadership system.
On the 9th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety began operations under the acting leadership of Vice Minister Ko Ki-dong. Vice Minister Ko held a meeting with deputy heads of cities and provinces on the same day, stating, "I feel very heavy-hearted and bear a grave sense of responsibility in facing the current situation," and added, "In times like these, public officials must stay centered and faithfully carry out their duties every moment to ensure that residents' daily lives remain undisturbed."
Former Minister Lee abruptly resigned ahead of the opposition party's impeachment vote. The opposition pushed for impeachment on charges that Lee supported the declaration of martial law and attempted to block lawmakers' entry into the National Assembly through the police. Lee's association with President Yoon Seok-yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, key figures in the martial law incident known as the 'Chungam faction,' intensified suspicions of collusion. In a statement released the previous day, Lee said, "I deeply recognize the responsibility for not serving the people comfortably and not assisting the president well."
This is not the first time the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has experienced a 'leadership vacuum.' The Democratic Party of Korea passed an impeachment motion against former Minister Lee in the National Assembly, holding him accountable for the Itaewon tragedy. Lee's duties were suspended, and after the Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed the impeachment motion, he returned to work about five months later. During the period when Lee's duties were suspended, there were criticisms regarding the ministry's and local governments' disaster response amid flood damage nationwide, including in Chungnam.
The second ministerial vacancy has once again disrupted the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's operations. Attention is focused on whether the budget cuts made by the opposition party on police security and special activity expenses can be restored. The opposition fully cut 3.16 billion won from police special activity expenses and 107 million won from the police bureau's basic expenses during the Budget and Accounts Committee. With the political situation frozen due to martial law, the Democratic Party has pledged further budget cuts, making related negotiations expected to be difficult.
Major policies aimed for implementation in 2025 are also expected to be delayed naturally. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has been pushing for administrative system reform to mark the 30th anniversary of elected local governments next year. The Future-Oriented Administrative System Reform Committee, an advisory body, collected opinions nationwide last month and was scheduled to announce recommendations this month, but this is likely to be postponed. The administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, planned to be submitted to the National Assembly within this year, is uncertain whether it will be properly discussed amid confusion inside and outside the ministry and the National Assembly. Discussions on the Government Organization Act, which includes the establishment of a Population Department, may also slow down.
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