Lawmakers go easy on nominees with same jobs
Kim Hyun-mee, a ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker who has been nominated as the minister of land, infrastructure and transport, smiles during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Thursday. / Yonhap
By Yi Whan-woo
Lawmakers are being criticized for using double standards in checking the eligibility of minister nominees at confirmation hearings -- going easy on their National Assembly colleagues while being rigid on those who are not.
This unfair practice is nothing new, but is increasingly more palpable in recent hearings.
The hearings for ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers -- Kim Boo-kyum, Kim Young-choon and Do Jong-hwan who were nominated to Cabinet posts -- apparently enjoyed friendly hearings despite the allegations against them about academic plagiarism and violation of the law on agricultural land.
Kim Boo-kyum is the interior minister-designate. Kim Young-choon and Do Jong-hwan were named to lead the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, respectively.
In addition, President Moon Jae-in nominated Kim Hyun-mee, also a DPK lawmaker, to head the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Kim Hyun-mee’s hearing was held Thursday.
The National Assembly committees on the interior, maritime and culture affairs ministries each endorsed Kim Boo-kyum, Kim Young-choon and Do Jong-hwan, Thursday.
Kim Hyun-mee is expected to gain National Assembly approval as well, according to political sources.
In the meantime, Kang Kyung-wha, a former senior U.N. official and the foreign minister nominee, still awaits parliamentary endorsement after undergoing a hearing on June 7.
The opposition parties have refused to endorse Kang after scrutinizing her about her involvement in two of the five corrupt practices that Moon singled out as criteria in screening nominees for top-ranking government posts. She was allegedly involved in falsifying a residential address and being involved real estate speculation.
The three opposition parties -- the Liberty Korea Party, the People’s Party and the Bareun Party -- also have been against endorsing Kim Yi-su, a progressive justice who is tapped as the Constitutional Court president.
“It could be problematic if the lawmakers go easy on certain nominees just because they are fellow legislators,” an analyst said, asking not to be named. “The criteria in screening a politician and a bureaucrat should be different and being legislators doesn’t mean they should be easily qualified to become Cabinet members.”
The analyst cited that the issues on alleged academic plagiarism by Kim Boo-kyum and Kim Young-choon were not brought up at the Wednesday hearing.
The lawmakers did not thoroughly question Do Jong-hwan either over his alleged violation of the law on agricultural land.
The legislators instead offered congratulatory messages to the three nominees.
Shin Yul, a professor at Myongji University, said the lawmakers-turned-ministers can put the division of power at risk.
“They will have emotional debt for fellow legislators and may try to speak on behalf of the National Assembly concerning state affairs,” he said.
The parliamentary hearing on top-ranking bureaucrats began in 2000.
Since then, all 25 incumbent lawmakers who were nominated as ministers won National Assembly approval.