Lee faces no-win dilemma as justice minister nominee row threatens prosecution reform
Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won takes an oath during a parliametary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung is facing a high-stakes dilemma over his justice minister nominee: push forward with Kim Seung-won's appointment at the cost of further eroding his approval ratings or withdraw the nomination and lose momentum on his flagship prosecution reform agenda.
Political insiders suggest Lee will press ahead regardless. Analysts say he is likely to frame the standoff as a defining battle for prosecutorial reform — a direct confrontation with what his camp describes as political prosecutors resistant to change.
“The (ruling) Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) appears poised to push forward with the appointment, while opposition parties are expected to gauge public sentiment following President Lee’s press conference scheduled on Friday before deciding whether to launch full-fledged street protests,” Seo Yang-ho, a political commentator and former mayor of Seoul’s Jung District, was quoted saying on a TV news program.
“At its core, Kim Seung-won's nomination is not simply a Cabinet appointment; it represents a fundamental clash between forces driving President Lee’s signature prosecution reform and political prosecutors resisting it. Consequently, the administration and ruling camp have little choice but to press ahead with the confirmation.”
Another political commentator, Kim Min-ha, echoed this view, noting that with the president's support ratings expected to fall regardless, the DPK sees little reason not to proceed with the appointment.
“Even within the DPK, there appears to be an understanding that forcing the appointment through will trigger a drop in approval ratings. However, with ratings already taking a hit regardless, the prevailing sentiment seems that it is better to secure the ministerial post instead of quitting,” Kim told CBS Thursday.
Lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party hold placards reading "Kim Seung-won Out" and "Kang Shin-chul Out" at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Public opposition crosses majority threshold
A Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) survey found that 52.1 percent of respondents oppose the appointment of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, while 25.1 percent support it. The survey was conducted on 1,001 adults nationwide on Monday and Tuesday.
KSOI said in its report that “as opposition surpasses a majority in the survey, the outcome of Kim’s nomination will carry significant weight for the administration’s overall support ratings,” adding that strong pushback from moderate voters “could impose a severe burden on governance in the future.”
The figures came as Kim was caught up in allegations of using his influence to lobby for the approval of a pharmaceutical company's COVID-19 clinical drug trial in October 2021, although prosecutors later suspended the indictment following an investigation.
Rep. Seo Young-kyo, chairperson of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, pounds the gavel during a meeting after main opposition People Power Party lawmakers left in protest of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's unilateral adoption of the parliamentary confirmation hearing report on Justice Minister candidate Kim Seung-won, Thursday. Yonhap
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has targeted Kim over his leadership of a newly formed DPK faction this year, arguing that his support for dropping suspended indictments against Lee signals he will unfairly favor legislative initiatives benefiting the president when he becomes the justice minister.
Despite the pressure, the DPK pressed ahead Thursday, unilaterally adopting the parliamentary confirmation hearing report for Kim — a key legislative requirement for his ministerial appointment — two days after his hearing, fulfilling the three-day statutory deadline. Once adopted, the nominee can be formally appointed upon presidential approval.
The PPP launched an all-out offensive in response, with some lawmakers vowing street protests until the nomination is withdrawn.
President Lee Jae Myung listens as International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol speaks at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps
Pattern of failed nominations
Kim's confirmation battle is unfolding against the backdrop of an unusually high attrition rate among Lee's cabinet nominees. The most recent casualty was Rep. Yong Hye-in, who stepped down as gender equality minister nominee Sunday amid public criticism over her decision to retain her parliamentary seat alongside the cabinet post, prompting opposition parties to renew their attacks on Lee's vetting process.
Yong's exit brings to four the number of ministerial nominees who have failed to be appointed since Lee took office last year, following Education Minister nominee Lee Jin-sook and Gender Equality Minister nominee Kang Sun-woo in June 2025 and Planning and Budget Minister nominee Lee Hye-hoon in December 2025.
The rate compares unfavorably with past administrations over equivalent periods: Moon Jae-in had three failed nominations over a similar timeframe, while Yoon Suk Yeol, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak each had two — a record critics attribute to a shallow talent pool within the ruling camp.
All four failed nominees were women. Yong's case, however, stands apart. While Lee Jin-sook, Kang Sun-woo and Lee Hye-hoon were all removed after undergoing National Assembly confirmation hearings, Yong never made it to the hearing stage.