DP seeks to bring down Yoon’s cabinet nominees

May 06, 2022, 09:30 am

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Prime Minister nominee Han Duk-soo speaks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 3, 2022./ Source: Joint Press Corps

AsiaToday reporter Jeong Geum-min

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) is seeking to link the parliamentary approval issue of Prime Minister nominee Han Duk-soo with bringing down of other Cabinet nominees. As the ruling party has failed to find reasons to disqualify Han for prime minister post, it is seeking to bring down some Cabinet member nominees by using the parliamentary approval as a weapon. This raises the possibility that the Yoon administration and former government ministers with different government philosophies may coexist awkwardly.

According to the National Assembly on Thursday, the ruling and opposition parties have not yet adopted the hearing review report of Han, who completed his personnel hearing on Tuesday. Unlike ministerial candidates, who can be appointed by the president after passing a personnel hearing, a prime minister nominee needs a majority vote of the current lawmakers to be appointed as a prime minister. If an approval for a prime minister nominee is delayed, the Yoon administration may be in trouble forming its first Cabinet members.

The DP says there is no problem, claiming that even if President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol submits a motion for official appointment of Han to the National Assembly on May 10 after taking office, the vote on the motion can be done within 20 days. Under the current law, only the incumbent president can submit a motion to appoint a prime minster.

The DP is expected to make a decision cautiously after observing public opinion trends for Han ahead of the June 1 local elections. “Candidate Han has already been sent out by the people. The allegations raised themselves are the reasons for disqualification,” said Yoon Ho-joong, chairman of the DP’s emergency committee, at an emergency committee meeting held at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The DP may link the confirmation of Han to the fate of ministerial candidates. While education minister nominee Kim In-chul announced his resignation, the DP is seemingly seeking to bring down health and wefare minister nominee Chung Ho-young and justice minister nominee Han Dong-hoon.

On minister nominees Chung and Han, DP floor leader Park Hong-keun said in a CBS radio interview on Thursday, “There are too many problems in terms of morality, qualities, and capabilities despite the public’s negative sentiment. As a result, if they push forward the appointment, we have no choice but to consider such a part in appointing a prime minister.”

The move brought strong opposition from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). “The DP’s attempt to hinder the approval of Han’s nomination indicates it is denying the launch of the Yoon administration, and is another type of violence against the people who long for a new government,” said PPP spokesperson Kim Hyung-dong.

#Democratic Party #Yoon Suk-yeol #cabinet #nominees