Yoon administration to launch with Cabinet vacuum

May 09, 2022, 08:42 am

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President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol attends a ceremony celebrating Buddha’s Birthday at Jogye Temple in Seoul’s Jongno District on May 8, 2022./ Source: Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Lee Wook-jae

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration is expected to launch with several seats of his Cabinet empty as the ruling Democratic Party has withdrawn some of the Cabinet nominations. While it is uncertain whether the Assembly will approve the appointment of Prime Minister nominee Han Duk-soo, about half of the ministerial positions are not expected to be filled until the new government is inaugurated. The next administration is expected to operate under an acting prime minister system for a while.

So far, only four out of a total 19 nominees have passed the National Assembly hearings. The four include Deputy Prime Minister and Economy and Finance Minister nominee Choo Kyung-ho, Employment and Labor Minister nominee Lee Jeong-sik, Science and ICT Minister nominee Lee Jong-ho, and Environment Minister nominee Han Hwa-jin.

The appointment of a prime minister, who can exercise the right to propose a minister nominee, is blocked. Prime Minister nominee Han has already completed all the personnel hearings, but the liberal ruling DP is refusing to confirm it. A prime minister nominee needs majority approval from the National Assembly to be confirmed. If the DP does not vote on the motion for appointment on Monday or rejects it, the Yoon administration will have to start without a prime minister.

Yoon may be accompanied by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, the last prime minister under the Moon Jae-in administration, but he has reportedly decided to launch his administration without a prime minister. It is also said that the president-elect expressed his willingness to his close aides that he will start operating the state affairs with vice ministers without appointing ministers. The move comes after the ruling DP attempted to prevent Cabinet picks, including justice minister nominee Han Dong-hoon and health and welfare minister nominee Chung Ho-young, from being confirmed in exchange for approval of prime minister nominee Han. Han’s nomination as a prime minister was meant to be a sign of cooperation as Han served as the last prime minister of the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration, but when the DP rejected to approve him, Yoon’s side seemingly burnt his boats.

For Yoon, there are concerns that he could give up political leadership if he concedes to the DP with the prime minister’s approval, and that he could face a series of requests for withdrawal of candidate nominations, including Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister nominee Won Hee-ryong and Interior and Safety Minister nominee Lee Sang-min, in addition to the issues involving candidates Han Dong-hoon and Chung Ho-young. This is why he was willing to take office with Cabinet vacuum.

As a result, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is expected to recommend the appointment of Deputy Prime Minister Choo as acting prime minister to Yoon. Then after Kim resigns, Choo is expected to help Yoon organize the new Cabinet.

In fact, the president-elect has asked the National Assembly to resend the hearing reports on Health and Welfare Minister nominee Chung Ho-young, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister nominee Won Hee-ryong, Interior and Safety Minister nominee Lee Sang-min, Foreign Affairs Minister nominee Rep. Park Jin, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister nominee Park Bo-gyoon, and Defense Minister nominee Lee Jong-seop by Monday. It indicates Yoon will enforce their appointment. According to the Personnel Hearings Act, President can force the appointment if the National Assembly does not issue a hearing report by the deadline for retransmission.

#Yoon Seok-youl #new Cabinet #nomination #vacuum