Yoon Suk-yeol appoints Han Dong-hoon as justice minister over objections

Politics

Published: 17 May. 2022, 18:27 Updated: 17 May. 2022, 18:51

Yoon Suk-yeol appoints Han Dong-hoon as justice minister over objections

President Yoon Suk-yeol answers reporters’ questions on Cabinet appointments at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, Tuesday morning. Later in the afternoon, he appointed Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon and Gender Minister Kim Hyun-sook. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon and Gender Minister Kim Hyun-sook, both controversial picks, Tuesday.

However, a formal appointment of Health Minister nominee Chung Ho-young was not included in the presidential office announcement late in the afternoon.

With the latest two appointments, 16 out of 18 minister positions are now filled. The two remaining are ministers of health and education.

Han, a senior prosecutor and ally of Yoon, faced opposition by Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers during his confirmation hearing over allegations that his daughter's extracurricular activities in high school may have been exaggerated to get into college.

His nomination had been controversial from the get-go.

Han, a former vice president of the Judicial Research and Training Institute who joined the prosecution in 2001, is known for investigations into high-profile cases, often alongside Yoon.

Han Dong-hoon

He worked under Yoon on a probe of a corruption scandal in 2016 that led to the impeachment and ouster of former President Park Geun-hye. Han also led investigations of corruption cases against former President Lee Myung-bak and more recently former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and his family. He also worked under Yoon on cases against Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office recently cleared Han of accusations of colluding with a TV reporter to attack pro-government figures for corruption in 2020. He was accused of being involved in the alleged blackmailing of a jailed businessman to expose irregularities of pro-government figures including liberal pundit Rhyu Si-min, a former health minister.

His appointment is a dramatic reversal of fortune following a series of demotions under the previous government.

Kim Hyun-sook

Kim Hyun-sook, an economics professor at Soongsil University and a former lawmaker, will head the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, an agency that Yoon once pledged to abolish. Thus, Kim is expected to review the role of the ministry and ways to wind it down.

Kim, a tax and pensions expert, served as Yoon's special policy adviser, managing policies related to Korea's low birthrate and its aging population. She was a senior presidential secretary for employment and welfare in the Park Geun-hye administration.

In her confirmation hearing, Kim struggled to answer lawmakers questions about the future of a ministry she is expected to help abolish.

Earlier Tuesday morning, Yoon told reporters he was "reviewing" whether to appoint Han, Chung and other Cabinet nominees in limbo on his way into the presidential office in Yongsan.

Park Hong-keun, the Democratic Party (DP) floor leader, said in a meeting later Tuesday, "We strongly urge once again [the president] to withdraw the nominations of ineligible persons such as Han Dong-hoon and Kim Hyun-sook, who go beyond public expectations and can act as a catalyst for national conflict."

The People Power Party (PPP) argued there was no problem with Han's nomination. PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong said in a party meeting, "It is wrong for the Democratic Party to call nominee Han Dong-hoon ineligible just because he investigated them."

Last Friday, Yoon appointed three more ministers after the DP refused to adopt more parliamentary confirmation reports.

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se, Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon and Land Minister Won Hee-ryong were appointed and sworn in that day.

Still in limbo is Health Minister nominee Chung, a former president of Kyungpook National University Hospital, who has been accused of using his position to help two of his children gain admission to a medical school and to help his son avoid active-duty military service.

Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo is also awaiting parliamentary confirmation.

The DP came down on Han in a parliamentary confirmation hearing over his post-retirement career as a highly-paid counsel at a law firm, while Han said he used his expertise and experience "within the bounds of the law."

While ministers have to undergo a parliamentary confirmation process, only the prime minister requires parliamentary approval.

During a first address to the National Assembly Monday, Yoon stressed a message of bipartisanship and joint governance. However, the DP has not budged in its objections to Yoon's appointments. Yoon had set Monday as a deadline for receiving parliamentary confirmation reports.

Earlier in the month, Kim In-chul, the education minister nominee, withdrew his candidacy after facing accusations of preferential treatment for his children.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]