Will Moon replace controversial housing minister?

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee arrives at the Government Complex in Seoul for a Cabinet meeting, Nov. 17. / Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

One highlight of an upcoming Cabinet reshuffle is whether President Moon Jae-in will replace his top housing policymaker Kim Hyun-mee, who has been at the center of rising public indignation over his administration's failure to contain soaring housing prices.

For weeks there have been talks of an imminent reshuffle, primarily to refresh policy momentum by replacing some of the long-serving ministers as the President enters the final phase of his term next year.

There is varying speculation as to what the President will do with Kim, who has been serving in his Cabinet right after the Moon administration was inaugurated in May 2017. She is among only a handful of ministers who have retained their posts since the beginning of the administration. This is considered to show Moon's unwavering trust of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport despite scathing criticism from the public and the opposition for the series of failed housing policies.

Lately, the soaring housing prices and their impact on heavier taxation have fueled demands for Kim to be replaced in the upcoming reshuffle.

Some reports say she will finally be ousted due to the highly negative public opinion. But there is also rising speculation that given her special ties to the President, she could be moved to become Moon's next chief of staff. The former three-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) previously served as chief of staff to Moon when he was party leader in 2015. In this case, Moon is expected to face a harsh backlash from the public for retaining her.

Cheong Wa Dae is preparing to announce the first new ministers soon, but has been cautious about declaring the exact timing. “We do not have anything to say about the President's personnel decisions in advance,” a presidential aide told reporters.

Another key point in the reshuffle is whether Moon will replace Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. The ruling bloc heavyweight has said she is committed to judicial reform, but there is rising speculation that she may join the race for the Seoul mayor by-election in April 2021.

SMEs and Startups Minister Park Young-sun, another possible mayoral candidate from the ruling party, is also expected to be replaced.