Opposition Slams Cabinet Reshuffle as Self-Protection Move

Chung Hee-yong, secretary-general of the People Power Party, said on the 1st that the latest cabinet reshuffle "runs counter to public livelihood by ignoring the public's demands, and amounts to a self-protection reshuffle that puts forward a co-chair of the Democratic Party of Korea's group seeking to drop indictments as the nominee for justice minister."

Chung made the remarks at a floor leadership meeting held at the National Assembly, saying, "We cannot let the government's reshuffle of six ministries pass without comment."

Targeting Rep. Yong Hye-in of the Basic Income Party, who was nominated as minister of gender equality and family, Chung said, "The government has nominated as a minister a lawmaker who entered the National Assembly twice solely through proportional representation." He added, "It is questionable whether young people who want fair competition and opportunity can accept this appointment."

Chung also said, "Kim Yong-beom, the presidential policy chief who led the introduction of single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds that have been blamed for turmoil in the stock market, was retained and only resigned today." He asked, "Was there really any will to renew personnel?" He said none of the appointments "meets the public's expectations for renewal and change."

Chung criticized the government further, saying, "Public distrust is building — turmoil in the stock market, instability in household finances caused by real estate and tax policies, the controversy over dropping indictments, attempts to shake the judiciary over Supreme Court justices, and the mismanagement of elections exposed by the shortage of ballot papers." He added, "If the government continues to ram through legislation unilaterally as it has until now, public sentiment will only drift further away."

"The president's recent approval rating is a clear warning from the public," he said. "A surprise reshuffle that replaces a few people cannot get the government out of this crisis. We urge the Democratic Party and the Lee Jae-myung administration to put people's livelihoods at the center and take the lead in fundamentally changing the course of state affairs."