ED Unilateral appointment

Yoon must not name key officials without confirmation hearing again?

President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Kim Chang-ki as the commissioner of the National Tax Service (NTS), skipping his required National Assembly confirmation hearing, Monday. It was Yoon's first appointment without going through a hearing procedure since the government expanded the confirmation hearing system to the tax chief and three other heads of powerful organizations in 2003. “I was forced to make the appointment not to let the tax administration drift any longer,” Yoon said. However, there are also many voices of concern about the move, which violates the system itself.

Yet, the National Assembly should also take responsibility for the matter. The parliament had even failed to set the hearing date three days before the deadline, with the two rival parties locking horns over who should chair key committees during the latter half of the 21st Assembly. The final verification of government personnel and maintaining checks and balances with the executive power is the core responsibility of the legislative branch. That explains why the Assembly must reflect on itself as well before criticizing the unilateral appointment.?

However, this situation hardly means Yoon can justify his one-sided appointment without waiting for the normalization of the Assembly and confirmation hearing procedure. If the establishment allows one or two exceptions, it could shake the very foundation of the confirmation hearing system. The deadline for Education Minister nominee Park Soon-ae and Health-Welfare Minister nominee Kim Seung-hee is Saturday. President Yoon said he would “wait for a considerable time” before appointing them, and we want to interpret this as his willingness to undergo the procedure. But, the Assembly must first verify various suspicions raised against the two.

NTS Commissioner Kim should be the first ― and the last ― case of an appointment without a confirmation hearing. The parliament should complete its setup to hold hearings as soon as possible. The Assembly must be prepared to discard the Confirmation Hearing Act as useless if it fails to verify the allegations and abilities of the nominees and simply lets them start their jobs without a hearing. The government also should watch with patience as the Assembly fills essential posts for the next two years.?