Withdraw nomination

Minister nominees hit for alleged ethical flaws

Five ministerial nominees are facing growing calls to voluntarily withdraw their nominations amid allegations of ethical lapses. On Tuesday, the National Assembly conducted confirmation hearings on the nominees, including Lim Hye-sook for science and ICT minister and Park Jun-young for oceans and fisheries minister.

Beset by fierce verbal attacks from opposition lawmakers, the nominees apologized for their faults, admitting that they did not meet the high ethical standards required for ministerial posts. Cheong Wa Dae cannot avoid criticism for repeatedly choosing figures with flawed qualifications and lacking in moral integrity, raising questions about its vetting process. Lim and Park, in particular, have come under a barrage of criticism, with allegations of numerous ethical lapses. We urge them to remove themselves from consideration voluntarily or for President Moon Jae-in to withdraw their nominations.

Lim was criticized for having taken her family members on four overseas trips funded by the staterun National Research Foundation of Korea, from 2016 to last year, while working as a university professor. The conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP) claimed that she misappropriated taxpayers’ money and spent it on her family. Lim was also slammed for having allegedly plagiarized a paper written by her student, though she denied doing so.

Park, for his part, apologized for the allegations that his wife “smuggled” porcelain pieces into the country when his family returned home from his stint at the Korean embassy in the United Kingdom. Though Park said the purchase of the ceramics was not meant for commercial purposes, it was found his wife illegally sold them here. PPP Rep. Kim Sungyo unveiled a photo showing the pieces brought back by Park’s wife, saying, “Thousands of pieces! It was like treasure salvaged from a sunken ship.”

Prime Minister-nominee Kim Boo-kyum, who is set to attend his confirmation hearing Thursday, will likely face a grilling from the opposition amid claims that he and his wife failed to pay vehicle taxes and traffic fines, resulting in their car being towed 32 times. How can such a figure as Kim, with no sense of legal obligation, serve as prime minister?

Even the minor progressive Justice Party, regarded as friendly toward the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said both Lim and Park should be disqualified from ministerial posts. More disappointing is the attitude of some DPK lawmakers who went all-out to defend the nominees during the hearings.

They seem to have forgotten the lessons from the party’s humiliating defeat in the April 7 mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. These election results were seen as a stern verdict from voters on the hypocrisy prevalent among the ruling elite. The DPK and the Moon administration have lost the public trust because they have lost the moral high ground. They should humbly accept the criticism of the nominees’ lack of qualifications and integrity.