President looks to maintain grip on administration via Cabinet reshuffle

President Yoon Suk Yeol walks past the Korean flag during a ceremony commemorating Memorial Day at Seoul National Cemetery, Thursday. Courtesy of presidential office

President Yoon Suk Yeol is contemplating a Cabinet reshuffle as soon as late June, which may involve replacing several ministers who have held their positions since the start of his presidency.

The reshuffle is seen as a bid to rejuvenate and prevent further weakening of his control over state affairs, following the ruling People Power Party’s (PPP) crushing defeat in the April 10 general elections.

An official at the presidential office said Friday that the office is now in “an early stage of vetting a number of candidates” to replace ministers and vice ministers.

During a press conference on May 9, Yoon said that he has been “refraining from using a Cabinet reshuffle as a tool for political maneuvering despite criticisms,” but “it is time for a Cabinet reshuffle because there are some ministers who have been serving for more than two years, and there is a need to refresh the atmosphere in various ministries to better address public welfare issues.”

Due to his remarks, speculation is growing that Yoon is contemplating replacing his ministers who have been in office since Yoon's 2022 inauguration. They include Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Environment Han Wha-jin and Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik.

However, the reshuffle is anticipated to take time, as appointing a minister requires a National Assembly confirmation hearing, and the opposition parties, which currently control the Assembly with 192 out of 300 seats, are determined to be uncompromising on any nominees that Yoon name.

The confirmation hearing is a non-binding questioning session, meaning the president can appoint a nominee no matter what the Assembly recommends, as Yoon has done a number of times already. However, snubbing the opposition again will likely undermine his promise to “cooperate with the opposition.”

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks during a meeting with reporters at the Government Complex in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is expected to retain his job.

Han, who has been serving in the post since May 2022, offered to resign on April 11 to take responsibility for the general elections defeat suffered by the People Power Party.

At the time, Han was anticipated to be replaced, with a number of names frequently being mentioned connected to ruling bloc insiders. However, there were also some names associated with several heavyweights from the opposition bloc mentioned, including four-term former lawmaker Park Young-sun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum who played a role in the administration of Yoon's predecessor, liberal President Moon Jae-in.

However, Yoon neither accepted Han’s resignation nor named his successor, with sources saying that “there are difficulties in finding the right candidates.”

Unlike ministers, a prime minister’s appointment requires the Assembly’s approval. If a nominee is rejected by the opposition, the ruling party has no power to overturn the decision, and Yoon will then have to name another candidate, potentially suffering a serious loss of influence regarding state affairs.

The partisan conflicts of the Assembly are ever-increasing. The ruling People Power Party did not participate in a vote to elect the Assembly speaker during a plenary session on Wednesday, blaming it on the DPK’s unilateral push to hold the session.

The two main rival parties were also butting heads over appointing chairs for the Assembly committees, especially for the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which plays a gatekeeping role before the tabling of any bills at a plenary session. Under these circumstances, getting the opposition’s approval on a prime minister nominee is viewed as a tough task, ruling bloc officials said.

“We also know that there have been controversies in appointing ministers so far,” another official at the presidential office said. “And the office is now making efforts to explore fresh faces.”