Democratic Party: "Yoon Seok-yeol Government's 'Albakgi Personnel' Exceeds 100 Even After Martial Law"

Policy Committee: "Duties Suspended Due to December 3 Martial Law"
"Appointed as Institution Heads with Only Presidential Office or People Power Party Business Cards"

Jin Seong-jun, the Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, urged on the 25th, "Immediately stop the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's entrenched appointments."

At the party floor countermeasure meeting held at the Democratic Party's tent office near Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on the morning of the same day, Chair Jin said, "As the 'impeachment ruling on Yoon Seok-yeol' approaches, the government's entrenched appointments are being carried out more blatantly," adding, "The Yoon administration, whose duties have been suspended due to the December 3 emergency martial law, seems determined not to reflect but rather to hand out positions like medals to the collaborators of the rebellion."

Chair Jin pointed out, "Our party has identified more than 100 entrenched appointments across 15 institutions since the illegal martial law on December 3," and criticized, "All of these are 'blind appointments' without verified qualifications or expertise, hastily placed in public institution head positions either having been in Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential office or holding only a People Power Party business card."

He expressed deep regret, saying, "While leaving the national administration gap unattended, taking advantage of the political turmoil during the impeachment phase, prioritizing the care of close aides rather than state affairs is appalling," and criticized, "The regime that declared illegal martial law and trampled on democracy is now deceiving the people by planting pro-Yoon personnel in public institutions to maintain vested interests."

Jinseongjun, the Policy Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the floor countermeasure meeting held at the tent party headquarters in Gwanghwamun, Seoul on the 25th. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Democratic Party Policy Committee's findings, as of the 21st, a total of 106 people have been appointed or are undergoing recruitment as heads of public institutions under government ministries such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Financial Services Commission.

The entrenched appointments identified by the Democratic Party Policy Committee in the Yoon administration include ▲ Kwon Byung-jun, Standing Auditor of Public Home Shopping, appointed on December 5 last year immediately after the December 3 emergency martial law (former spokesperson of the Liberty Korea Party), ▲ Choi Chun-sik, President of the Korea Petroleum Management Institute, appointed in January (former People Power Party lawmaker), and ▲ Lee Ju-su, CEO of the Korea Energy Information and Culture Foundation, appointed in February (former People Power Party Seoul City Council member).

Jin Seong-jun, Policy Committee Chair, said, "Kim Hoe-seon, former Saenuri Party lawmaker, is reportedly the candidate for the Korea Racing Authority chairman, and Kim In-jung, former first deputy minister of agriculture in the Yoon administration, is likely to become the president of the Korea Rural Community Corporation."

He also said, "Kim In-jung, former first deputy minister of agriculture in the Yoon administration, is likely to become the president of the Korea Rural Community Corporation," and added, "Shin Dong-ho, an EBS director who served as the spokesperson for the United Future Party's election campaign committee during the 21st general election and was disciplined in the blacklist incident while director of announcers at MBC, is reportedly nominated as the president of EBS."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party announced plans to push for amendments to the 'Public Institution Operation Act' (Gongunbeop) to align the terms of the president and public institution heads to prevent recurrence of such entrenched appointments.