By Kim Ji-soo
With the voluntary withdrawal of three political nominees including Prime Minister-designate Kim Tae-ho, there is expected to be a governmental void.
The void will be notable particularly in the Prime Minister’s Office. Former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan had already left office to make way for Kim. Yoon Jeung-hyun, minister of strategy and finance, has been serving as actingprime minister.
Following the withdrawals of Culture Minister-nominee Shin Jae-min and Knowledge Economy Minister nominee Lee Jae-hoon, the outgoing culture and knowledge ministers are expected to stay on for a while.
Political watchers believe the President will name successor in mid-September. The National Assembly opens for its regular session in September, and a parliamentary audit of government ministries are slated for soon after the opposition Democratic Party’s convention on Oct. 3.
With his decision, Kim became the third Prime-Minister-nominee to fold his candidacy because of the parliamentary confirmation hearings since 2000. Prime Minister-nominees who withdrew their nominations were Chang Sang, former president of Ewha Womans University and the first female nominee in 2002 and Chang Dae-hwan, president of Maeil Business Newspaper. The two had to forfeit because of several controversial issues including illegal false address registration.
Kim, a former South Gyeongsang Province governor, had faced harsh criticism for various issues including dubious loans and using his official car to help his wife commute to her teaching job.
But the critical hurdle came when he had to revoke his testimony at the parliamentary hearings when he first came to know Park Yeon-cha, a former Taekwang CEO. Park was arrested in 2008 on charges of tax evasion and alleged insider trading. Park was also suspected of giving Kim kickbacks; an allegation that the prosecution cleared Kim of later. At the parliamentary hearings on Aug. 24 and 25, Kim, said he came to know him “after 2007.”
Then when opposition lawmaker Rep.ParkYoung-sun of the Democratic Party grilled him about a golfing trip in October, Kim was forced to admit to golfing with and therefore knowing Park. A photo soon surfaced showing him attending a business meeting in 2006 with Park standing next to him. Kim said that the photo was one of many taken during his stint as governor. He reiterated that his false testimony was based on a “bad memory,” not fabrication.
Kim had been considered a young and upcoming political candidate, having assumed the governorship at the relatively young age of 42. Some politiclal watchers even considered him a presidential contender.
The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday that it will strengthen its cross-check of future political appointees.