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A small reshuffle not so convincing

Published: 14 Sep. 2023, 20:24

President Yoon Suk Yeol has replaced three members of his Cabinet. Shin Won-shik, People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker, was named defense minister, Yoo In-chon, a special presidential adviser, was named the culture, sports and tourism minister, and Kim Haeng, a PPP member, the gender equality and family minister. Earlier, Bang Moon-kyu, minister of government policy coordination, was tapped as the minister for trade, industry and energy. The presidential office explained that the four nominees all have expertise in their fields and qualifications as government ministers.

Seeing the deepening relations between North Korea and Russia, South Korea cannot afford to misstep on the security front. The head of the Defense Ministry must not be vacant for a second. The Democratic Party (DP) must set aside partisan differences and cooperate in confirming their nominations.

The DP, which has threatened to push through with a motion to impeach outgoing defense minister Lee Jong-sup, is now seeking a special prosecutorial probe on him despite his resignation. Lee offered to resign in fear of a security vacuum as the DP vowed to seek Lee’s impeachment amid allegations of him interfering in the military investigation on the death of a 21-year-old marine who died during a rescue mission from a flood. If Lee is impeached by the majority DP, the ministerial post could be left unattended for four to five months. Replacement would not be possible during this period. Lee Sang-min, minister for the interior and safety, was suspended for 167 days until the impeachment motion was overruled by the Constitutional Court. During this period, nearly 50 people died from flooding. Defense Minister Lee bowed out so as not to cause any disruption in security.

The small-scale reshuffle comes amid a string of controversies related to the government — the sloppy hosting of the World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, the death of the marine, and relocation of the bust of independence fighter Hong Beom-do from the Military Academy.

But whether the latest reshuffle is enough to meet public expectations is doubtful. Bringing back Yoo, who served the same post under the Lee Myung-bak government, raises concerns about the rigidity and narrowness of the human resource pool. The presidential office could not discover fresh faces to breathe new breath into the conservative government. Yoo, Education Minister Lee Joo-ho, Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho and Korea Communications Commissioner Lee Dong-kwan have all been recycled from the Lee Myung-bak administration.

Since the candidates are all known for sturdy character, they could hold another faceoff with the opposition. The contentious rivalry cannot help the country overcome multiple challenges at home and abroad. Politicians must seriously deliberate what should be prioritized for public interests.