Park draws ire for favoring confidants for gov't jobs

President Park Geun-hye shakes hands with Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo after awarding him a certificate of appointment at Cheong Wa Dae on Feb. 17. / Yonhap

By Yi Whan-woo

• Published Mar 2, 2015 5:08 PM KST
• Updated Mar 2, 2015 5:08 PM KST

Lawmakers’ role for President in dispute

By Yi Whan-woo

President Park Geun-hye is increasingly favoring incumbent lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party for Cabinet positions and presidential advisors in the wake of her repeated failure to nominate non-politicians for such posts.

But her move has prompted concerns about whether such legislators, who all have been pro-Park forces within the party, can facilitate communication between Cheong Wa Dae and the National Assembly in a fair and objective manner.

They also may quit their jobs with the government while making bids for office in the general elections of April 2016, thus creating a state management vacuum, according to experts.

“The President is opting for politicians over non-politicians because the former group already underwent a rigorous screening over their career,” said Bae Jong-chan, a chief director at political pollster Research and Research. “It’s less likely that the public will raise objections over the nominees’ eligibility as government officials,” said Bae.

In her latest personnel reshuffle on Friday, Park named three Saenuri Party lawmakers — Joo Ho-young, Kim Jae-won and Yoon Sang-hyun — to serve as special advisors on political affairs. Cheong Wa Dae created the posts this year as part of Park’s plan for government restructuring.

The trio will join the party’s four other legislators who have been serving as Cabinet members.

They are Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo, Strategy and Finance Minister and Deputy Minister Choi Kyung-hwan, Education Minister and Deputy Minister Hwang Woo-yea and Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hee-jung.

Lee was inaugurated for the country’s No. 2 job on Feb. 17. The President appointed Choi, Hwang and Kim as ministers in July 2014.

Six of the 18 Cabinet members will be incumbent Saenuri Party lawmakers if Reps. Yoo Ki-june and Yoo Il-ho, both from the party, pass the parliamentary confirmation hearing process for their ministerial jobs. The hearings are slated for March 9-11.

On Feb. 17, Park nominated Yoo Ki-june as the minister of oceans and fisheries and Yoo Il-ho to head the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Rep. Yoo Seung-min, the party’s floor leader, expressed skepticism over Park’s choices. He is among the party’s non-mainstreamers who have been critical of the President for being reclusive in her management of state affairs.

“I previously suggested the President should pick non-mainstreamers within the party or opposition lawmakers as her special advisors to better communicate with the National Assembly. And she apparently did not consider my suggestion.”

The President’s choices are instead seen as bids to take a firm grip over the ruling party amid the waning clout of the pro-Park forces, which have been the party’s mainstream group, according to Bae.

Yoon Hee-woong, the head of Min Consulting, a public opinion research firm, agreed. “The President suffered from a state management vacuum with repeated failures in her nomination of non-politicians as government officials, and she is apparently trying to capitalize on support from her aides,” Yoon said.

He also pointed out that Park’s efforts may fail if the legislators tender their resignation in their possible bid for the National Assembly elections next year.

“Except for the prime minister, I think other lawmakers will quit their jobs at the government by the end of this year at the earliest. Then the President will be busy again filling the posts.”

Bae voiced a similar view, saying, “Lee is unlikely to run for 2016 general elections considering he serves as the deputy for the President.

“Others are likely to run for the elections for another National Assembly term, causing a state management vacuum.”