After the "By-election Defeat" Fallout... Yoon Government Faces Fifth Ministerial Nominee Withdrawal

Kim Haeng, Minister of Gender Equality Candidate, Finally Withdraws Voluntarily
Previous Four Cabinet Minister Candidates Also Failed
Could Be an Opportunity for Government Reform and Message Change

Kim Haeng, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, voluntarily resigned on the 12th. It was just one month after being nominated by President Yoon Seok-yeol. In political circles, the ruling People Power Party's crushing defeat in the Seoul Gangseo District Mayor by-election held the day before is seen as playing a decisive role in Kim's voluntary resignation. Since the launch of the Yoon administration, there have been a total of five cases where nominees for cabinet positions have fallen out, each for different reasons, but all revealed limitations in meeting the public's expectations.

On the afternoon of the same day, Kim stated, "Before being the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, I am a member of the People Power Party. As a party member, I have decided to voluntarily resign from the nomination with a spirit of putting the party before myself." Kim addressed various allegations raised by the opposition, saying, "I have no shame when looking up to the sky," and "I will prove my innocence by the means available to me." Facing allegations such as stock parking and breach of trust, Kim made this decision amid pressure from the ruling party leadership and critical public opinion.

Since the launch of the Yoon administration in May last year, Kim is the fifth cabinet nominee to fall out. Previously, Kim In-cheol, nominee for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education; Jeong Ho-young and Kim Seung-hee, nominees for Minister of Health and Welfare; and Song Ok-ryeol, nominee for Chairperson of the Fair Trade Commission, all fell out. All five cases ended with voluntary resignations rather than withdrawal of nominations.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Although the reasons for their fallouts differed, a commonality was that their past actions failed to gain the trust of the public and the National Assembly. Kim In-cheol, the first nominee to voluntarily resign in the Yoon administration cabinet, was unable to escape allegations of "dad's power" as not only he but also his wife, daughter, and son all received Fulbright scholarships. Kim Haeng served as president of the Korea Fulbright Alumni Association from 2012 to 2015. At the time, Kim said, "I am deeply sorry to President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol who trusted me with this important responsibility," and "I will support the success of the Yoon administration from afar."

The second cabinet nominee to fall out in the first Yoon cabinet, Jeong Ho-young, nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare, was also caught up in the "dad's power" controversy. Despite insisting until the end that "no illegal or improper acts have been revealed" regarding his children's transfer to Kyungpook National University Medical School and military service issues, he eventually accepted "the parts that fall short of the public's expectations" humbly and stepped down.

Notably, the Minister of Health and Welfare position saw two nominees voluntarily resigning. Kim Seung-hee, a former member of the 20th National Assembly from the Future United Party (now People Power Party), faced allegations of using her political funds to pay encouragement money to her aides and spending about 51 million won in political funds on fellow party members. There were also allegations that she used about 18 million won of political funds to purchase a rental car used for work and about 800,000 won for her spouse's vehicle insurance.

Song Ok-ryeol, a professor at Seoul National University Law School and the first nominee for Chairperson of the Fair Trade Commission under the Yoon administration, resigned amid sexual harassment controversies. Song, a classmate of President Yoon at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, was nominated in July last year but became embroiled in controversy when it was revealed that he made sexually harassing remarks, including comments on appearance, during a dinner with his students in 2014. Song explained, "Knowing that such an incident occurred made me want to crawl into a hole," but ultimately decided to resign voluntarily amid ongoing public criticism.

In Kim Haeng's case, besides the controversies over 'stock parking' and breach of trust, the variable of the 'election' also hindered her. It appears she felt considerable responsibility for the ruling party's defeat by a large margin of 17 percentage points in the Gangseo District Mayor by-election held just half a year before the general election. During a closed meeting of the People Power Party on the morning of the same day, there was an opinion that Kim's voluntary resignation should be recommended to the Presidential Office. Kim also included in her statement, "I watched the Gangseo District by-election late into the night yesterday," and "I apologize to President Yoon Seok-yeol, who holds the power of appointment. I hope my resignation will be of some help to the Yoon administration and the People Power Party."

For the Presidential Office, although it avoided the political burden of withdrawing the nomination, it is not free from the implications of this election. President Yoon pardoned and reinstated Kim Tae-woo, the People Power Party candidate who caused the by-election, and the party even endorsed his candidacy. Moreover, since this election was perceived as a gauge of public sentiment in the metropolitan area, President Yoon's concerns are inevitably deepening.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some view this election as a turning point that will bring about a wave of reform not only in the Presidential Office but also in the government and ruling party. A Presidential Office official gave a brief statement saying, "The government must take any election result seriously," but voices also suggest that "(the results) need to be calmly reviewed."

President Yoon's national policy direction is also expected to shift toward targeting the "public's expectations." While he has focused on differentiation by making strong remarks against the previous administration, North Korea, and vested interest groups, it is said that messages focusing on livelihood and the economy will follow. President Yoon has already expressed his intention to concentrate on managing people's livelihoods in the second half of the year.

Additionally, changes may occur regarding the positions of administrative officers within the Presidential Office preparing to run in the general election. A ruling party official said, "Since the election results may lead to revisions in the ruling party's general election strategy, the selection process during primaries may become stricter," adding, "Ultimately, those lacking a political base will have to make cautious choices."

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