Ahead of 'Forced Appointment' for Han Dong-hoon... Democratic Party Says "Minister Unfit, Means Fighting Half the Nation"

If Early, Appointment Forced on the 17th
Opposition: "Difficult to Gain Public Trust"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] As the government prepares to appoint Han Dong-hoon as Minister of Justice, members of the Democratic Party's Legislation and Judiciary Committee have once again demanded the withdrawal of his nomination.

All Democratic Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press briefing at the National Assembly on the 16th, stating that Han's appointment "seems to be heading towards a forced confirmation" and that "we held this briefing to clearly explain why Han is unfit to serve as Minister of Justice."

Earlier, President Yoon Suk-yeol set a basic policy of no further ministerial candidate withdrawals among the new administration's initial nominees, and it was reported that Han and Kim Hyun-sook, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, are scheduled to be appointed sequentially starting as early as the 17th.

Park Joo-min, the Democratic Party's floor spokesperson on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said of Han, "He has not properly explained himself and insists on serving as Minister of Justice again, which makes it difficult for the public to trust law enforcement," adding, "Considering all this, it is hard for him to gain public trust as Minister of Justice."

Assemblyman Kim Jong-min also said, "Regardless of the facts, appointing someone whom half of the South Korean public strongly opposes and cannot accept as Minister of Justice means choosing to fight against the other half of the people," and added, "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration can only succeed, and South Korea can only succeed, if it forms a government of national unity."

Criticism also continued regarding allegations of Han's 'dad privilege.' Assemblyman Kim Young-bae pointed out, "It is essential to clearly state his position on the allegations of a Kenyan ghostwriter's thesis and the support process for the laptop, as this will be the starting point to prevent further public suspicion separate from his ministerial appointment."

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