From the Start, the Opposition Sharpens Criticism at 'Byeon Changheum and Jeon Haecheol'... Piercing Verification Expected

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 7th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] As President Moon Jae-in reshuffles his cabinet by replacing ministers of four ministries, the opposition party has sharpened its stance from the start against nominee Byeon Chang-heum for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and nominee Jeon Hae-cheol for the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, signaling a piercing scrutiny. The opposition is set to focus attacks on Byeon’s policy stance and asset issues, and on Jeon’s status as a pro-Moon (pro-Moon Jae-in) figure.

The People Power Party is showing a sensitive reaction to the nomination of Jeon, a current Democratic Party lawmaker and a pro-Moon figure, as minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which oversees election management. Senior lawmaker Kim Ki-hyun criticized on CBS Radio on the 7th, saying, "Ahead of next year’s Seoul and Busan by-elections, a sitting Democratic Party lawmaker known as a core pro-Moon figure has been appointed. It is hard not to question whether this is appropriate."

Spokesperson Bae Jun-young also said in a statement the day before, "There are growing concerns about fair election management," and questioned, "The Blue House mentioned his ‘breakthrough ability’ in the cabinet announcement, but what exactly does it mean for a public official to ‘break through’ something?"

The People Power Party also remains suspicious that the Moon administration is strongly pushing for the relocation of the administrative capital through Jeon and trying to increase control over the police toward the end of its term. They plan to verify Jeon’s awareness of the obligation of election neutrality during the confirmation hearing and focus on this issue.

The main target of the People Power Party’s scrutiny is nominee Byeon, who will handle real estate policy. They have essentially taken a stance of disqualification and intend to devote full efforts to the verification process. They argue that nominating Byeon signals that the Moon administration will not change its policy direction.

Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, issued a statement that day saying, "We oppose nominee Byeon, who personally implemented the ‘zero-point real estate measures,’" and warned, "We will thoroughly verify and expose the candidate’s morality and qualifications."

Spokesperson Bae also raised his voice, saying, "Now is a time when a major transformation of real estate policy is absolutely necessary," and added, "But instead, they have brought in a key member of Kim Soo-hyun’s faction, the very source of regulatory tightening policies." Lawmaker Kim also criticized, "When asked to solve the problem of soaring sale and jeonse prices and the disappearance of listings, they brought someone who says not to dream of that and just live in rental housing," calling it "scratching your back when your feet itch." He continued, "Minister Kim Hyun-mi said she would at least bake bread, but this person seems to say if there is no bread, just go on a diet."

People Power Party candidates running for Seoul mayor also voiced opposition to nominee Byeon. Former lawmaker Kim Seon-dong wrote on his Facebook that day, "In a word, the buds are yellow," evaluating, "He looks like Minister Kim Hyun-mi ‘Season 2.’" Regarding Byeon’s public-centered redevelopment and rental housing expansion stance, he said, "Instead of stubbornly clinging to ideological dogma, look at the lives of Seoul citizens as they are." Former lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon strongly criticized, saying, "Byeon is even worse than Kim Hyun-mi," and called him "the theorist and backer of the Moon administration’s real estate policy."

People’s Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo also demanded the withdrawal of Byeon’s nomination, criticizing, "This cabinet reshuffle is, in a word, an ‘arson reshuffle’ that pours oil on the fire of public sentiment."

The opposition plans to conduct a detailed verification not only of Byeon’s real estate policy stance but also of his assets. A major point of scrutiny is the apartment in Bangbae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, where he currently resides, which he reported as worth 590 million KRW for two consecutive years. A People Power Party official said, "There will be no smooth passage," and added, "We will thoroughly verify through the confirmation hearing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.