Yoon Presents Appointment Letters to Shin Won-sik and Yoo In-chon... Kim Haeng Still Deliberating

Only Ministers Shin and Yoo Receive Appointment Letters in Cabinet Reshuffle
Still Cautious on Controversy Surrounding Nominee Kim Haeng
‘Voluntary Resignation’ Mentioned as Variable in National Assembly Audit and Election

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 11th presented appointment letters to Shin Won-sik, Minister of National Defense, and Yoo In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Among the cabinet reshuffle carried out on the 13th of last month, only the appointment of Kim Haeng, Minister-designate of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, remains undecided, with the presidential office still maintaining a cautious stance.

President Yoon delivered the appointment letters to the two new ministers at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning. He had already approved their appointments on the 7th.

These ministers have already made their debut in the National Assembly. In the case of Minister Shin, he attended the Ministry of National Defense’s audit the previous day amid picketing by the Democratic Party demanding the withdrawal of his appointment, completing only simple procedures such as a briefing in the evening. Minister Yoo also faced intense opposition from the opposition party from the first day. Regarding ongoing criticisms about the safety of the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan and responses to fake news, he stated, "There are worries and concerns, but the government has the responsibility to convey the correct plan."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is taking a commemorative photo after presenting the appointment letter to Defense Minister Shin Won-sik at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the 11th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

However, the nominee Kim is facing repeated controversies over the disruption of the confirmation hearing held on the same day. With both ruling and opposition parties shifting responsibility, the Democratic Party has even proposed the so-called 'Kim Haeng-rang Prevention Act,' which considers absence without justifiable reason or mid-hearing withdrawal as resignation.

Although Kim issued a statement the previous day saying, "(I) have never gone missing during the hearing" and "I will disclose all my whereabouts, so please release all closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from before and after the hearing disruption," the controversy continues. The Democratic Party has warned it will file a police complaint accusing Kim of breach of trust, alleging that company funds were used during the process of acquiring management rights of a company he operated.

The presidential office’s concerns seem to be deepening. Initially, they described Kim as a "practical professional with experience who does not require much time to understand tasks and seek solutions," but the current mood is to "observe the National Assembly situation as the procedures are not yet complete."

Within political circles, there is even talk of a 'voluntary resignation theory.' Since the national audit has begun and the confrontation between ruling and opposition parties is expected to continue, it is suggested that Kim should decide his own position to ease President Yoon’s burden in state affairs.

Some also believe that the results of the by-election for the Mayor of Gangseo District, Seoul, held on the same day, will have a considerable impact. As this election is seen as a gauge of public sentiment in the metropolitan area about six months ahead of next year’s general election, there is speculation that depending on the outcome, the administration might proceed with a 'forceful appointment.' A presidential office official said, "For now, the procedure is to observe the National Assembly situation," adding, "With major schedules such as the national audit, it is not easy to issue a statement within a day or two."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is taking a commemorative photo after presenting the letter of appointment to Yoo In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 11th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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