Park fights back with PM nomination

Kim Byong-joon, a former close aide to the late President Roh Moo-hyun, speaks at an institute of the Financial Supervisory Service in Seoul, Wednesday, after being nominated by President Park Geun-hye as prime minister. / Yonhap

President picks ex-aide to Roh as prime minister

By Kang Seung-woo

President Park Geun-hye unexpectedly replaced the prime minister and two other Cabinet ministers, Wednesday, without consulting the opposition parties, showing her resolution to overcome the leadership crisis in her own way.

Park nominated Kim Byong-joon, a former close aide to the late President Roh Moo-hyun, as prime minister to replace Hwang Kyo-ahn, according to presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk. Kim, 62, is a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul.

Park also appointed Financial Services Commission Chairman Yim Jong-yong as the new finance minister _ a post that doubles as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs _ and Park Seung-joo, another former Roh aide, to head the Ministry of Public Safety and Security.

The partial reshuffle came as the administration is reeling from a myriad of allegations that Park’s longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil has had a significant influence on her during her presidency. Choi is now being questioned by the prosecution.

The controversy has triggered public calls for Park to step down as her approval rating plunged to a single-digit number, Tuesday.

With the President losing her grip on state affairs, the National Assembly is discussing forming a bipartisan Cabinet, under which Park will take a back seat to a powerful prime minister who will run the country.

Hours after the nomination, Kim told reporters that he will disclose his position on the nomination at a press briefing today.

“I will make time tomorrow to disclose my position on pending issues,” Kim said.

Asked when he was notified of the nomination from President Park, he said, “about a week ago.” He refused to elaborate.

Presidential officials said the designation of a new prime minister reflects growing calls for a neutral Cabinet, and that the President will delegate some of her executive power related to domestic affairs to him.

“To meet the demands from political circles for a neutral Cabinet, Park designated Kim, who served as a policy chief in the participatory Roh government,” said a presidential official.

After serving as the chief presidential secretary for national policy in the liberal government, Kim was named to head the education ministry in 2006. But he was caught up in suspicions that he had plagiarized his thesis and engaged in other unethical behavior, and the Grand National Party, a predecessor of the ruling Saenuri Party, strongly urged him to step down.

In the end, Kim quit after an embattled 13 days on the job.

Prime Minister Hwang earlier planned to conduct a handover ceremony, Wednesday, but the event was postponed amid concerns that stepping down and leaving the prime minister’s seat vacant could lead to trouble in state affairs.

Although Park carried out the reshuffle as if she accepted the opposition’s demand for a neutral Cabinet, it remains to be seen if the move will get the scandal-rocked administration back on track.

On the presidential office’s announcement, opposition parties criticized Park for unilaterally picking the new prime minister without consulting them, despite ongoing discussions about a bipartisan Cabinet. They said she is plotting to retain the initiative over state affairs.

Saenuri Chairman Lee Jung-hyun was said to have recommended Kim to the President during a closed meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday.

The reshuffle also drew criticism from the ruling Saenuri Party that had welcomed Park’s selection of Cabinet members and her senior secretaries.

“Although the nominee is a competent figure, it was inappropriate to announce the candidate unilaterally,” Rep. Kweon Seong-dong said, adding that Park should have at least asked the ruling and opposition parties to recommend someone capable of handling the country.

“It is questionable if the President is willing to overcome the crisis,” said Yang Seung-ham, a professor emeritus of political science at Yonsei University in a media interview.

“Without consulting the National Assembly, she replaced three Cabinet members as a solution to the political turmoil, which is not feasible.”

Hangil Research director Hong Hyeong-sik said, “Regardless of the reshuffle, Park’s declining approval rating will not stop amid allegations surrounding Choi that pop up on a daily basis.”