Presidential Office Appointments: Ruling Party Calls It a "Masterstroke," Opposition Voices Concerns Over Constitutional Court Nominee

There was generally positive feedback from both the ruling and opposition parties regarding President Lee Jaemyung's first round of appointments after taking office. However, there was also criticism from the opposition concerning the appointment of a Constitutional Court justice.

Yonhap News Agency

On June 9, Park Sanghyuk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on YTN Radio's "News Fighting" and commented on Woo Sangho, the new Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, saying, "He is someone who can communicate with the People Power Party, and if a political judgment is needed to maintain overall balance regarding the ruling party, he can provide that balance." Regarding the consideration of attorney Lee Seungyup as a candidate for the Constitutional Court, Park stated, "Lawyers are involved in cases that end with that particular incident; it is inappropriate to continue holding them accountable as if by guilt by association," adding, "It is not appropriate to evaluate appointments by nitpicking at words." Park Ji-won, another Democratic Party lawmaker, also said on SBS Radio's "Kim Taehyun's Political Show" that "there is no law that says someone cannot become a Constitutional Court justice simply because they previously defended President Lee."

Kim Daesik, a member of the People Power Party, stated on YTN Radio's "News Fighting" that "for the Lee Jaemyung administration to succeed, personnel appointments are the way to immediately resolve the doubts and distrust that the public currently holds," emphasizing, "Appointments should be made in a very diverse and balanced manner." Woo Jaejun, also of the People Power Party, appeared on KBS Radio's "Special Current Affairs" and analyzed, "Overall, the general evaluation is that things are proceeding smoothly." He added, "In particular, Woo Sangho, the nominee for Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, was previously considered to be in the non-Lee Jaemyung faction, but the fact that such individuals are being embraced and their opinions widely heard is something to be highly regarded."

However, he also noted, "There are some appointments that are cause for concern," and added, "In particular, attorney Lee, who directly defended President Lee, is being mentioned as a candidate for the Constitutional Court. During the recent impeachment process, many citizens were already concerned about the political inclinations of Constitutional Court justices. I hope that this appointment does not further heighten such concerns."