By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Opposition parties accused President Lee Myung-bak of the wrong choices of nominees for Cabinet ministers and other key posts Monday.
``Those who were responsible for the mismanagement of the economy shortly before the Asian financial crisis hit the nation in 1997 were brought back again at a time when the nation needs to weather another tough economic situation,'' commented Choi Jae-sung of the largest opposition Democratic Party (DP).
Yoon Jeung-hyun, nominee for the ministry of strategy and finance, was working in the finance ministry shortly before the disastrous regional crisis pounded the nation, he said.
Choi also pointed out that nine out of 19 appointees are from either Gyeongsang Province, where President Lee Myung-bak's hometown is located, or graduates from Lee's alma mater Korea University.
The DP spokesman called Hyun In-take, an appointee for minister of unification, another wrong choice, given worsening South-North relations.
Hyun, a professor of political science at Korea University, is an architect of the so-called MB Doctrine, which formed the backbone of President Lee's North Korea vision, calling on the South to have conditional engagement in the North when it follows measures for denuclearization.
The DP spokesman characterized the appointment as ``very disappointing.''
Minor opposition Democratic Labor Party (DLP) spokesman Park Seong-eop told reporters that Lee filled the key posts with his cronies.
Park said the lineup failed to meet the public's expectations.
``Particularly, Finance Minister-nominee Yoon is the one who was managing the economy when the regional financial crisis hit the economy in 1997. Therefore Lee's choice of a neo-liberalist at a time when the economy is being hit hard by the global economic recession is wrong,'' said the DLP spokesman.
Meanwhile, the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) welcomed the minister-nominees and vice minister-level officials, saying a team consisted of like-minded Cabinet ministers is needed more than ever to weather the severe economic downturn.
``We need a group of people who can act immediately, instead of making comments and speculating on policies. And it's time for the president to find the right shoes that fit with his foot. In this sense, Lee chose the right people,'' said GNP spokesman Yoon Sang-hyun.
Yoon praised the nominees, saying all of them are reform-oriented figures having enough capabilities to take on demanding missions.
``To cross the ocean, we need selectively-chosen, best supportive people who can give right advice to the president, instead of complaining,'' said Yoon.