Moon shrugs off opposition to appoint FM nominee
Opposition vows all-out struggle
By Choi Ha-young
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Kang Kyung-wha
President Moon Jae-in indicated Thursday he will appoint Kang Kyung-wha as foreign minister despite the opposition parties’ objections.
“As far as I know, Kang is a wonderful, courageous woman. As a career diplomat, she is widely recognized in the United Nations and in the international diplomatic field,” Moon said during a meeting with his senior secretaries. “I will respect the will of the people, and hope the opposition parties will do so as well.”
Moon requested the National Assembly yet again to approve Kang as foreign minister by Saturday. The nominee had failed to get parliamentary confirmation due to the objections from the opposition, which allege she is incompetent and unethical.
They are expected to maintain this position, but Moon may push ahead with the appointment over the weekend.
For more than a week, the silver-haired nominee has been in the hot seat in the face of the opposition bloc’s fierce attacks against some ethical lapses and her capabilities. The minor liberal People’s Party has vowed to discontinue its cooperation with the ruling party and Cheong Wa Dae, if Moon nominates Kang without parliamentary consent.
The party with 40 lawmakers has a deciding vote in the 299-seat National Assembly if the largest conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) sticks to its anti-Moon stance.
“For a cooperative political culture, I’ve made unprecedented efforts,” Moon said during the meeting in Cheong Wa Dae. “It’s truly hard for me to accept the situation that the opposition parties are even mentioning street rallies and a comprehensive boycott.”
On Monday, he visited the Assembly to explain the presidential office’s supplementary budget bill drawn up for job creation. Before the plenary session, the President appealed to opposition leaders to adopt joint reports on his nominees ― Kim Sang-jo as Fair Trade Commission chief, Kim Yi-su for Constitutional Court president and Kang for foreign minister.
However, the efforts failed as the three opposition parties ― the LKP, the People’s Party and the Bareun Party ― refused to step back. In the end, Moon appointed Kim Sang-jo to lead the antitrust watchdog, despite the opposition bloc’s disapproval.
Kang, a high-ranking United Nations official with expertise in human rights, has been a major stumbling block between the ruling and opposition parties. In response, Moon dismissed the political offensives against her citing the flood of public and experts’ support for her.
On Wednesday, nine human rights experts involved with the U.N. issued a statement in support of her. Earlier, 63 staff members from 13 U.N. organizations, 10 former foreign ministers and 130 international aid groups announced their support for Kang, as did sex slavery survivors, women's rights groups and the union of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In line with the support, 62 percent of citizens are in favor of Kang’s appointment according to a Realmeter poll released Monday.
Kang’s appointment is likely to aggravate the “game of chicken” between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and opposition parties.
The largest opposition LKP said: “Cheong Wa Dae’s arrogance is undermining the foundation of democracy,” Thursday, following its consideration of street rallies the previous day.
The second-largest opposition People’s Party renewed its opposition to Kang, Thursday. “If Cheong Wa Dae pushes ahead with her nomination relying on public opinion, where can we find the necessity for an Assembly hearing?” party interim leader Rep. Park Joo-sun said in a radio interview.
“Following Moon’s decision, the political landscape will turn unpredictable,” Myongji University professor Shin Yul told The Korea Times.
“The upcoming Assembly hearings over two disputed ministers-designate would be notable: Ahn Kyong-whan as justice minister and Cho Dae-yop as labor and employment minister,” Shin said.
To break the deadlock, DPK floor leader Woo Won-shik proposed closed-door talks with three opposition floor leaders, Thursday afternoon. Reportedly, they will discuss Moon’s personnel appointments and the administration’s budget bill.