Chances of ministerial reshuffle grow

President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with his senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

The biggest keywords in Korean politics following the Chuseok holidays are “Cabinet reshuffle” that is purportedly to take place to enhance the mood in the troubled Moon Jae-in administration.

Facing complex challenges to the economy and on North Korea, among other issues, President Moon is facing growing calls to replace select ministers to ensure more effective policy-making, thereby restoring public trust in his government and avoiding a lame-duck presidency.

According to the latest surveys, the President has been losing support after the recent influence-peddling scandal involving Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, which has cast strong doubts over Moon's drive for social justice, following allegations she facilitated special treatment for her son during his mandatory military service.

Public sentiment has also turned increasingly negative after the President's weak message toward North Korea following the shooting death of a South Korean maritime official at the hands of North Korean military personnel at the maritime border between the two Koreas, Sept. 22.

Against this background, the need for a change in the Cabinet is reportedly gaining consensus within the ruling bloc. During a recent media interview, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said that he believed the President was getting reports about the need for change.

Speculation is rising that Cheong Wa Dae has begun the search for replacements for some ministers who have served in the administration since it was inaugurated in May 2017.

The longest serving ministers include Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Health Minister Park Neung-hoo.

The possibility of replacing Kang has been highlighted in the wake of a scandal over her husband making a trip to the U.S. for the “non-essential” purpose of buying a yacht, which is seen as going against the government's guidelines to refrain from overseas travel to ensure protection against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Park, who has been under fire over multiple policy missteps and slips of the tongue, caused a new controversy recently with the ministry's Chuseok celebration poster in which he appears. Criticism arose that the poster looked like an election campaign poster and the ministry was wasting taxpayers' money on promoting its chief.

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki will have served two years in December. Kim Hyun-mee, minister of land, infrastructure and transport, has also been a key target of the opposition for the Moon administration's missteps in housing policy. Minister Sung Yun-mo of trade, industry and energy and Park Young-sun, minister of SMEs and startups, have also served a relatively long time. Park, a four-term lawmaker, is reportedly being mentioned as a strong contender for the Seoul mayoral by-election in April 2021.

In particular, there is a high level of public interest in whether Moon will finally respond to the incessant calls from the opposition to get rid of Choo.

In addition, there have been rumors that Moon will replace his chief of staff Noh Young-min, who has become a symbol of the administration's failed housing policy aimed at containing property speculation with a controversy over him owning multiple apartments.

Ruling bloc insiders say that a reshuffle could take place before the end of the year, after the National Assembly's audit into the government and its review of next year's budget finish. But the presidential office is remaining silent about this. “We cannot confirm personnel changes in advance,” a senior presidential aide told reporters. “The atmosphere at the presidential office is far from such reporting.”

Despite his falling support, the President is underlining his resolve to keep pushing with policy priorities to improve the economy amid the COVID-19 crisis.

“The government will do its best to produce solid results through its quarantine measures, and to revive the people's livelihoods and the economy as soon as possible,” Moon said during a weekly meeting with senior aides, Monday.