'Yoon is in charge,' says Ahn Cheol-soo

Presidential transition committee Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo speaks during a press conference at the committee's office in Tongui-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps

Ahn denies his voice was ignored in Cabinet nominations

By Nam Hyun-woo

Presidential transition committee Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo refuted media reports that his recommendations were ignored in Cabinet nominations and that the transition committee failed to present major national agenda.

During a press conference, Monday, to commemorate the passage of a month after the launch of the presidential transition committee, Ahn said he tried to respect President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's principles and ideas in naming minister nominees and did not challenge his decisions.

"I believe the president-elect has his own ideas and principles on running the country, and I believe it is appropriate for me to respect those ideas," Ahn said. "Even though Yoon did not nominate people I recommended for him to consider, I did not raise specific objections on his choice."

His remarks came after Ahn canceled his schedules last week, in an apparent expression of frustration over Yoon's Cabinet nominations. Yoon finished naming 18 minister nominees for his administration, but figures recommended by Ahn were not included on the list.

Due to this, speculation mounted that Ahn, who competed with Yoon during the presidential election and merged his campaign to endorse the president-elect, was sidelined by Yoon's presidential transition team, diminishing prospects of their promise to form a coalition government.

When asked whether he will continue recommending figures for other government jobs, even though his recommendations were dismissed, Ahn said: "Of course I will."

"In order to reform the government, I believe we have to hire people with expertise in his or her field and intention to lead reforms," Ahn said.

Presidential transition committee Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo, third from right, presides over the committee's plenary session at its office in Tongui-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps

Ahn refuted criticism that the presidential transition committee is failing to present major national agenda as it is obsessed with other issues.

"The committee is silently but diligently working" to explore Yoon government's tasks and solutions, he said.

"The mission of the presidential transition committee is setting up the principles of running state affairs and exploring government tasks," Ahn said. "Though there are concerns that the committee's presence is not felt, I can say that our committee is working harder than any other transition committees in the past regarding this mission."

A month after its launch, the presidential transition committee faced criticism that its presence is not being felt as controversies, such as Yoon's plan to relocate the presidential office, conflicts with President Moon Jae-in and rifts between Yoon and Ahn, overshadowed the committee's work.

In the meantime, the committee announced its policy ideas on easing transfer taxes for those having two or more homes and scrapping Korea's unique way of counting one's age, but these were criticized to be distant from agendas that will determine the country's future, such as improving the national pension program and resuscitating economic growth.

"From now on, the presidential committee will be more active in introducing policy ideas," Ahn said. "And the committee will announce a list of national tasks early next month.

Ahn said past governments were obsessed with short-term outcomes which can be shown during a president's five-year tenure. Yoon and Ahn share the idea that they need to come up with policies for national sustainability even though it may take decades.

"The new government has to cooperate with an opposition party which dominates the National Assembly for the next two years, in order to facilitate reforms and political stability," Ahn said. "For this goal, we are exploring national tasks that will meet the demands of the people."

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