Lee Taegyu: "Yong Hyein Nomination Should Be Withdrawn," Park Wonseok: "Doubtful Whether the President Truly Feels the Crisis"

"The Most Notable Figure in the Cabinet Reshuffle is So Young Lee"

"Indictment Withdrawal? The Administration May Not Be Able to Withstand the Consequences"

"'Yong Hyein Controversy' May Further Undermine President's Approval Ratings"

The second regular session of the National Assembly under the Lee Jaemyung administration has begun. Tensions between the ruling and opposition parties continue to mount over the handling of legislation and policy initiatives. This marks the start of an ongoing standoff expected to last through the year-end budget negotiations. President Lee’s approval rating is on a downward trend, and rifts within the ruling party show little sign of closing. In an effort to shift the political momentum, President Lee has rolled out a cabinet reshuffle. However, controversy is growing, particularly around candidate Yong Hyein. Kim Yongbeom, the policy chief who faced growing pressure over economic policy failures, has ultimately resigned. We took a closer look at the cabinet reshuffle issues through a discussion with former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Taegyu and former Justice Party lawmaker Park Wonseok. The discussion took place at The Asia Business Daily studio in Jung-gu, Seoul, at 4 p.m. on August 31, with a follow-up interview on September 2.

Former Justice Party lawmaker Wonsoek Park (left) and former People Power Party lawmaker Taekyu Lee (right) appeared on The Asia Business Daily's current affairs YouTube show "Sojongsup's Current Affairs Show" on the 31st to debate. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

President Lee Jaemyung has reshuffled six ministries. How would you assess the overall reshuffle?

Park Wonseok: First of all, the scope is broader than expected. There was speculation that only vacant posts would be filled, but recent drops in the president’s approval ratings and the exposure of conflicts during the Democratic Party convention seem to have changed things. Overall, there’s a sense that the administration’s cohesion was slipping. This reshuffle appears to be an attempt to restore that—with a definite will to regain control, though I wouldn’t call it a major overhaul. In the economic ministries, for example, both the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport elevated vice ministers. It doesn’t indicate a shift in policy, but rather a focus on implementation. While there’s little in the way of sweeping change, renewal, or inspiration, these appointments signify a sense of stability, continuity, and, to a degree, consolidation within the president’s camp.

Lee Taegyu: Personnel appointments are the president's strongest tool for communicating with the public. Whom the president appoints provides insight into his worldview and the direction of national governance. Well-executed appointments raise presidential approval ratings, while poor appointments cause them to fall. In this reshuffle, including the use of personnel from the Blue House, the direction and concept are unclear and difficult to understand. Right now, we are at a tipping point between the success or failure of President Lee Jaemyung’s administration. This cabinet shake-up should have been a crisis response, but I see no sense of urgency. It’s neither a renewal nor a reform. Nor can it be viewed as a pragmatic unification. The president seems to have an overly complacent outlook.

So Young Lee, nominee for Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Startups, is arriving at the confirmation hearing preparation office set up at the Small and Medium Business Technology Information Promotion Agency in Yeouido, Seoul on the 31st. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

The Standout Figure in the Cabinet Reshuffle: So Young Lee, Nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups

If you had to pick one standout nominee from this cabinet reshuffle, who would it be?

Park Wonseok: Assemblywoman So Young Lee is the most notable. These days, there are not many policy-oriented politicians in the National Assembly. She is a rare example—both highly professional and principled. She fits the so-called centrist pragmatism advocated by the Lee Jaemyung administration. Both inside and outside the Democratic Party, the evaluation of her appointment has been nearly unanimous—there’s hardly any criticism. It's not just that she is young and female; she truly brings expertise and policy competence.

Lee Taegyu: I also think Assemblywoman So Young Lee is the only nominee worthy of real recognition in this reshuffle. I watched her conduct committee activities regarding allegations about the Yangpyeong Expressway. At the very least, a legislator needs to prepare and study as thoroughly as she did before committee questioning. With that kind of professionalism and dedication, I believe she would excel at any work she is entrusted with.

Former Justice Party lawmaker Wonseok Park appeared on "So Jongsup's Current Affairs Show" on the 31st and highly praised Soyoung Lee, the nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, as a "rare policy-oriented politician." Photo by Jinhyung Kang

On the other hand, who draws your attention in a negative sense?

Park Wonseok: Assemblywoman Yong Hyein. The perception of her as a “free rider” is overwhelming—having been elected twice under a satellite party for proportional representation? That goes against democratic principles. Now she’s been nominated as a minister, but refuses to give up her seat in the Assembly? That is completely contrary to established practices. Why should the public have to consider the circumstances of the Basic Income Party? Whether it remains a registered party or becomes an extra-parliamentary one is their business. If that was a concern, she shouldn’t have accepted the cabinet nomination. The appointment seems designed to appeal to women in their 20s and 30s, but she doesn’t offer meaningful representation for that group. In fact, it’s likely to have an adverse effect, provoking strong backlash, particularly among men under 40.

Has she even had any significant impact as a lawmaker? If anything, she has been more active than Democratic Party lawmakers in defending President Lee since her time as party leader. I was taken aback—in 2022, during a parliamentary committee, she openly advocated for abolishing the crime of publishing false information under the election law, at a time when not even Democratic Party lawmakers were doing so. She comes across as even more aggressive than her Democratic Party counterparts. Maybe that’s why she was nominated, but her administrative ability and the capability to coordinate an entire ministry are unproven. The backlash among younger voters will be considerable, making her confirmation hearing something to watch.

Yong Hyein, a member of the Basic Income Party and candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is arriving at her office in the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 31st. Photo by Yonhap News

Lee Taegyu: As for Kim Seungwon, nominee for Minister of Justice, I believe the president took an unnecessary risk. One key factor driving down President Lee Jaemyung’s moral legitimacy is his pledge to cancel indictments and forego a constitutional amendment for re-election. Presidents never declare that they will accept trial after their term ends or that they have no intention of extending their term. This is a central reason why the public distrusts the president politically. Now, appointing as Minister of Justice the very person who led the parliamentary group on indictment withdrawal? It raises suspicion that indictment cancellation will be pursued. From this perspective, his nomination was a significant mistake. The president may end up aggravating his own legal risks rather than reducing them—potentially replacing one problem with an even larger one.

Former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Taegyu appeared on 'So Jongsup's Current Affairs Show' and criticized Kim Seungwon, the nominee for Minister of Justice, saying, "In trying to remove a lump, you might attach a bigger lump." Photo by Jinhyung Kang

Park Wonseok: There’s a lot of legislative work ahead—after the criminal procedure code was amended, many laws need updating. Ensuring continuity of these tasks seems to have been the top priority. And since Kim Seungwon is a former judge, perhaps the idea is to approach judicial reform with caution. Of course, the opposition will be suspicious since he led the parliamentary group on indictment withdrawal and has advocated such measures. But forcing through a special prosecutor act with a clause on indictment withdrawal is unlikely. Assemblyman Song Younggil also argued for deleting that clause from the act. Imagine if the government pressed forward anyway—where would that leave the administration? It would be disastrous. Proving prosecutorial misconduct would require investigations, indictments, and court rulings. Skipping this process would be unsustainable. Tens of thousands would gather every weekend in Gwanghwamun to protest. Could the administration withstand that?

Kim Seungwon, a member of the Democratic Party nominated as the Minister of Justice, is attending the first subcommittee on bill examination of the Legislative and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on the 31st. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Lee Taegyu: If something like that happened, it would mean “ruling party, no crime”—it would amount to using presidential powers to erase the president’s own wrongdoing. That would be untenable. If the president is trying to win public trust, using power to cover up one’s own crimes is impossible in a democracy.

Yong Hyein Nomination Should Be Immediately Withdrawn. Forcing It Through Will Trigger a Bigger Backlash Than the Lee Hyehoon Controversy

There appears to be considerable public criticism of Assemblywoman Yong Hyein in particular.

Park Wonseok: The issue of Yong Hyein has become a test of this administration’s commitment to fairness. While the intention may have been to appeal to people in their 20s and 30s, the backlash from those very generations has been severe. In terms of political impact, it’s worse than the Moon Jae-in administration’s Incheon International Airport Corporation incident. Just her double proportional representation as a satellite party member is enough to disqualify her from a ministerial nomination. Her responsibility, capacity, and expertise to oversee gender equality have not been verified at all. The nomination should be withdrawn before public opinion deteriorates further. Moreover, her claim to retain her Assembly seat because of her party’s minority status has only fueled negative sentiment. If she is so averse to her party becoming an extra-parliamentary group—a party she wasn’t even elected for—she should simply decline the cabinet nomination.

Lee Taegyu: If the media, conservatives, and progressives are all critical, there’s a valid reason. The president should immediately withdraw her nomination. If not, and especially if he tries to force it through, the fallout could be much worse than in the cases of Kang Sunwoo or Lee Hyehoon.

Kim Yongbeom, the policy chief, suddenly resigned on September 1.

Park Wonseok: It’s belated, but welcome. As the de facto chief controller of economic policy, he was responsible for failures such as the leveraged single-stock ETF scheme. While the reshuffle tried to give the appearance of a voluntary resignation, it looks more like he was pushed out by public opinion after the shuffle was announced—which is regrettable.

Lee Taegyu: The timing was off. It would have been better to include him in the cabinet reshuffle, but now it appears he was replaced due to public pressure. This is an opportunity for the presidential office to reflect on whether its excessive dominance over state affairs is problematic, and to consider a more balanced strategy for managing the Cabinet.

On the 1st, Kim Yongbeom, Chief of Policy at the Blue House, who resigned, had been under pressure over responsibility for failures in economic policy. Photo by Yonhap News

Do you expect the administration’s overarching policy direction to change?

Park Wonseok: There is unlikely to be a major shift. Promoting Ministry of Economy and Finance and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport vice ministers to ministers shows a commitment to continuity. While the first economic team was responsible for setting the broad direction and initiating key projects such as three major “mega-projects,” the second team will focus on actual implementation. Personnel with strong hands-on skills have been moved into place. I expect the policy chief’s successor to be selected with continuity and drive in mind.

Lee Taegyu: Adjusting or supplementing the policy direction along with new appointments would show that the president is responsive to the public, making the political burden lighter. Without such adjustments, simply changing people won’t restore public approval. The reshuffle should be a chance for a sober internal evaluation of both the positive and negative effects of major policies such as real estate, taxes, supplemental investigative powers, and the integration of military academies. Dogmatic or overly ideological approaches are dangerous.

'Yong Hyein Controversy' Could Cause Further Decline in President’s Approval Ratings

According to a Realmeter survey, the president’s approval rating has entered the 30% range for the first time at 38.9%. (Survey conducted August 24–28 on 2,509 adults nationwide aged 18 or older. Margin of error: ±2.0 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For further details, see the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.)

Park Wonseok: It’s a crisis. Trends point downward in all major surveys. There is no obvious momentum for recovery. This cabinet reshuffle will not boost the president’s ratings. In fact, the fallout from the Yong Hyein controversy could push them even lower. I’m not sure the president truly senses the gravity of this crisis. Even if he does, perhaps he misreads it. The Yong Hyein nomination is likely to backfire. Furthermore, the ruling bloc is failing to control its messaging. Even with the recent Jeju missing person case, they made excuses about supplementary investigative powers which made little sense, and were late to respond onsite. Kim Minseok’s statements are all internally focused and don’t contribute to centrist outreach. Someone aiming for centrist expansion wouldn’t make statements like “Jo Hee-dae!” In the near term, a rebound in ratings is unlikely. If this situation hardens, expect turbulence—even the party and civil servants may become uncooperative, further complicating governance.

Lee Taegyu: Without a shift or self-reflective reappraisal of the administration’s policy direction, recovery is unlikely. Because the president is now distrusted politically and morally, it’s extremely difficult to gain credibility as a messenger. Much of this is self-inflicted. President Lee needs not to fear looking weak if he abandons a failed policy, but instead have the courage—and clear understanding of the situation—to make bold changes when necessary. I wish this kind of reflection had been reflected in the latest reshuffle, but unfortunately, it wasn’t—and I regret that greatly.

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