Unification Ministry at a Crossroads... Ruling and Opposition Clash Over 'Kim Young-ho's North Korea Policy'

Nominee Minister Kim Young-ho's Parliamentary Hearing on the 21st
"Overtly Right-Wing Remarks Like 'Down with Kim Jong-un'"... Opposition's Expected Offensive
YouTube Controversy... Refusal to Submit Materials Raises 'Disruption Possibility'
Ministry of Unification to Reform at Relaunch Level After Minister's Appointment

The parliamentary confirmation hearing for Kim Young-ho, the nominee for Minister of Unification, was held on the 21st. Fierce clashes between the ruling and opposition parties ensued over Kim's views on North Korea, as he had made right-leaning remarks during his academic years, including statements such as "The Kim Jong-un regime must be overthrown."

At around 10 a.m., during the full meeting of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, the ruling and opposition parties clashed from the outset over the confirmation agenda for Kim. The Democratic Party of Korea protested, citing insufficient submission of materials from Kim's side. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hong-geun hinted at a breakdown, saying, "Can we proceed with the hearing without materials on matters the public needs to know?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, Tae Young-ho, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, said, "Since the YouTube account and videos were deleted, it is understood that restoration will take about a month," adding, "I hope for a realistic discussion." Lawmaker Kim Seok-ki countered, "During Minister Lee In-young's confirmation hearing under the Moon Jae-in administration, there was also a lack of materials related to his son's military service, but the hearing proceeded," arguing that it is unreasonable to say the hearing cannot proceed due to insufficient family-related materials.

"Overthrow Kim Jong-un"…Opposition to Launch Offensive on 'Anti-Constitutional Views'

Plenary Meeting of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee

Kim, who has served as a professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Sungshin Women's University, has participated in policy-making in the fields of unification and diplomacy, having served as the Blue House Unification Secretary and Human Rights Ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade during the Lee Myung-bak administration. He is known as a hardliner, having insisted during the Moon Jae-in administration that "human rights issues must be addressed directly to Kim Jong-un during inter-Korean summits." His stance aligns with the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's North Korea policy.

The issue lies in his past remarks, which are evaluated as 'far-right.' The Democratic Party plans to attack these as 'anti-constitutional views.' In an April 2019 media contribution, Kim argued, "The path to unification opens when the Kim Jong-un regime is overthrown, North Korea is liberalized, and the South and North political systems become 'one system.'" Regarding the June 2000 inter-Korean joint declaration, he said, "We were completely fooled by North Korea's propaganda and agitation."

His 'historical awareness' is also a point of contention. Kim described the 2018 Supreme Court ruling on forced labor compensation during Japanese colonial rule as "being obsessed with anti-Japanese ethnic nationalism." He also recommended the book "Anti-Japanese Ethnic Nationalism," which claims that "there is no factual basis for the forced mobilization of comfort women and sexual slavery by the Japanese military."

The 'YouTube channel' that was closed immediately after his nomination is also a hot issue. According to materials submitted by the Ministry of Unification to Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Hong-gul, Kim, who is a professor at Sungshin Women's University, received permission for concurrent employment for YouTube activities from April 2019 to December this year. However, the actual start of video uploads was July 2018, meaning he operated the channel for over nine months without permission. Furthermore, over five years from 2018 to last year, he earned 372.39 million KRW from the YouTube channel, including 10.89 million KRW in 2018 and 101.95 million KRW in 2019 before receiving concurrent employment permission, raising the need for explanations regarding some of the earnings. The Democratic Party is demanding the restoration of the channel to verify unclear earnings and controversial statements in the videos.

"Department of North Korea Support"…Ministry of Unification to Undergo Overhaul Equivalent to Dissolution

Ministry of Unification [Image source=Yonhap News]

If Kim Young-ho assumes office as planned, the Ministry of Unification is expected to undergo reforms equivalent to a relaunch. A major personnel reshuffle is anticipated first. As of January this year, the Ministry of Unification has 616 staff members, including 300 at headquarters and 316 in affiliated agencies, but a reorganization to reduce this to around 500 is reportedly under consideration. Currently, about 200 personnel are assigned to tasks such as exchanges, cooperation, and North Korea support; a plan is in place to transfer many of them to other ministries and reassign them to work related to North Korean human rights and denuclearization.

An official from the Ministry of Unification told Asia Economy in a phone interview on the same day, "It is true that we are reviewing an organizational reform plan as part of efforts to innovate the current organization," but added, "No specific details have been finalized yet," withholding further comments.

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