Surprise Cabinet Reshuffle... Ruling Party "Fully Qualified," Opposition "Increasing Yongsan Control"

Ha Tae-kyung "Jang Mi-ran Has Done a Lot of Public Service Activities"
Song Gap-seok "Deputy Minister's Forward Deployment Increases Control Over Yongsan"

On the 29th, President Yoon Suk-yeol carried out his first cabinet reshuffle since taking office, nominating Kim Young-ho, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, as the new Minister of Unification, and Kim Hong-il, former head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Criminal Investigation Department, as the Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Notably, this reshuffle drew attention with the surprise appointment of Jang Mi-ran, the "Queen of Weightlifting" and professor at Yongin University. The ruling party highly praised Professor Jang, saying she is "fully qualified," while the opposition criticized the move, pointing out that presidential office secretaries were promoted to vice ministerial positions, claiming it was an attempt to "strengthen control over Yongsan."

On the 29th, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, said on CBS's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show," "(Professor Jang) has done a lot of activities for the public good. She established the Jang Mi-ran Foundation to nurture young athletes, earned a doctorate in sports administration in the U.S. as an administrator, and is currently a professor, so I believe she is fully qualified," expressing his support.

However, the appointment did not include the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission. Lee Dong-gwan, a special advisor for external cooperation at the presidential office, is considered a strong candidate for the next chairperson, but he is currently under suspicion of school violence involving his child. The fact that the incumbent Chairperson Han Sang-hyuk's term has not yet ended also appears to have delayed the appointment. Ha said, "Legally, they do not want to take risks," adding, "because (Han Sang-hyuk's) term has not ended."

Kim Dae-gi, Chief of Staff to the President, announced the reshuffle of ministerial and vice-ministerial personnel, including the Minister of Unification, on the 29th at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

This reshuffle replaced two minister-level and thirteen vice minister-level officials, with many vice ministers coming from the presidential office secretaries. Kim Oh-jin, Secretary for Management, and Baek Won-guk, Secretary for Land, Infrastructure and Transport, were nominated as the 1st and 2nd Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, respectively; Lim Sang-jun, Secretary for National Tasks, was nominated as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environment; Park Sung-hoon, Secretary for National Planning, as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries; and Jo Sung-kyung, Secretary for Science and Technology, as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT.

There were differing views between the ruling and opposition parties regarding the forward placement of presidential office personnel to vice ministerial positions. Song Gap-seok, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on BBS's "Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal," "It seems like a forward placement, and I don't know if this has happened in other governments, but it is very unusual," adding, "Everyone immediately thinks that secretaries are being dispatched to each ministry to increase Yongsan's control."

Heo Eun-ah, a member of the People Power Party, said, "The personnel authority is fixed, so we have to acknowledge that part a little," adding, "Through this personnel reshuffle, the government aims to strengthen control over ministries and proceed with the three major reforms in labor, education, and pensions. I hope they actively address these issues and resolve them smoothly."

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