By Yi Whan-woo
Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon is facing mounting calls to step down following Ahn Dae-hee's withdrawal of his nomination for prime minister Wednesday.
Opposition lawmakers claim Kim has been recommending nominees for the Cabinet, including those for prime minister, to President Park Geun-hye. Consequently, they say, he is responsible for failing to screen Ahn properly in advance.
Ahn, a retired Supreme Court justice, withdrew his premier nomination amid growing criticism that he received special favors in his work on lawsuits as a lawyer last year.
"It is time to replace the presidential chief of staff," said Rep. Kim Han-gil, co-chairman of the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), Thursday.
During a campaign in support of NPAD candidates in Seoul for the June 4 local elections, Kim criticized the presidential chief of staff for having been negligent in his work.
"He has been wielding power as if he were a king and it's unacceptable that he failed to find out Ahn's alleged ethical lapses," the NPAD lawmaker said.
NPAD's floor leader Rep. Park Young-sun echoed a similar view.
"It should be stressed that Kim Ki-choon is the ultimate decision-maker at Cheong Wa Dae in screening candidates for the Cabinet," she said. "It raises concerns that such a screening process has not worked properly under the Park administration."
Rep. Kim Ki-sik of the NPAD questioned why Cheong Wa Dae failed to screen the candidate. Kim first raised questions about whether Ahn increased his wealth through unfair business practices which are allegedly prevalent among former and active judges, as well as prosecutors.
Ahn, also a former prosecutor, earned 1.6 billion won ($1.56 million) in less than six months after opening a law office in July.
"I highly doubt whether Cheong Wa Dae was unaware of Ahn's past," Kim Ki-sik said. "And I urge Kim Ki-choon to leave as Ahn did."
Both the Saenuri Party and the NPAD agreed to include Kim Ki-choon as a witness before a National Assembly committee that will investigate the cause of the ferry accident.
President Park initially tapped Ahn for the country's No. 2 job last week in a desperate bid to restore public confidence in government in the wake of the Sewol ferry tragedy on April 16. It was speculated that she sought to capitalize on Ahn's clean image in her effort to root out corruptive ties between government officials and entrepreneurs revealed by the disaster, and to woo voters.
Ahn's withdrawal of his nomination is expected to deal a blow to the ruling Saenuri Party in the local elections.
Both the Saenuri Party and the NPAD agreed to include Kim Ki-choon as a witness before a National Assembly committee that will investigate the cause of the ferry accident.
Experts say it is necessary for the President to sack Kim Ki-choon. However, they speculated that she will not fire him for the time being.
"It is reasonable enough for the President to replace Kim Ki-choon with someone else," said Shin-yul, a political science professor at Myongji University. "However, it is likely she will keep him until the local elections end, because otherwise she will not be able to run the government."
Lee Kang-yun, a political analyst, said, "The possibility of replacing Kim Ki-choon with someone else is very low.
"The President has shown deep trust in Kim because they share principles in running the government. I'd say she will abandon him unless she wants to change her style in carrying out such principles," he said.
Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon is facing mounting calls to step down following Ahn Dae-hee's withdrawal of his nomination for prime minister Wednesday.
Opposition lawmakers claim Kim has been recommending nominees for the Cabinet, including those for prime minister, to President Park Geun-hye. Consequently, they say, he is responsible for failing to screen Ahn properly in advance.
Ahn, a retired Supreme Court justice, withdrew his premier nomination amid growing criticism that he received special favors in his work on lawsuits as a lawyer last year.
"It is time to replace the presidential chief of staff," said Rep. Kim Han-gil, co-chairman of the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), Thursday.
During a campaign in support of NPAD candidates in Seoul for the June 4 local elections, Kim criticized the presidential chief of staff for having been negligent in his work.
"He has been wielding power as if he were a king and it's unacceptable that he failed to find out Ahn's alleged ethical lapses," the NPAD lawmaker said.
NPAD's floor leader Rep. Park Young-sun echoed a similar view.
"It should be stressed that Kim Ki-choon is the ultimate decision-maker at Cheong Wa Dae in screening candidates for the Cabinet," she said. "It raises concerns that such a screening process has not worked properly under the Park administration."
Rep. Kim Ki-sik of the NPAD questioned why Cheong Wa Dae failed to screen the candidate. Kim first raised questions about whether Ahn increased his wealth through unfair business practices which are allegedly prevalent among former and active judges, as well as prosecutors.
Ahn, also a former prosecutor, earned 1.6 billion won ($1.56 million) in less than six months after opening a law office in July.
"I highly doubt whether Cheong Wa Dae was unaware of Ahn's past," Kim Ki-sik said. "And I urge Kim Ki-choon to leave as Ahn did."
Both the Saenuri Party and the NPAD agreed to include Kim Ki-choon as a witness before a National Assembly committee that will investigate the cause of the ferry accident.
President Park initially tapped Ahn for the country's No. 2 job last week in a desperate bid to restore public confidence in government in the wake of the Sewol ferry tragedy on April 16. It was speculated that she sought to capitalize on Ahn's clean image in her effort to root out corruptive ties between government officials and entrepreneurs revealed by the disaster, and to woo voters.
Ahn's withdrawal of his nomination is expected to deal a blow to the ruling Saenuri Party in the local elections.
Both the Saenuri Party and the NPAD agreed to include Kim Ki-choon as a witness before a National Assembly committee that will investigate the cause of the ferry accident.
Experts say it is necessary for the President to sack Kim Ki-choon. However, they speculated that she will not fire him for the time being.
"It is reasonable enough for the President to replace Kim Ki-choon with someone else," said Shin-yul, a political science professor at Myongji University. "However, it is likely she will keep him until the local elections end, because otherwise she will not be able to run the government."
Lee Kang-yun, a political analyst, said, "The possibility of replacing Kim Ki-choon with someone else is very low.
"The President has shown deep trust in Kim because they share principles in running the government. I'd say she will abandon him unless she wants to change her style in carrying out such principles," he said.
