The main opposition People Power Party labeled Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul and Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister nominee Hong Ji-sun unfit for office and demanded that their nominations be withdrawn. The party widened a campaign that had focused on Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won to include Kang and Hong, and signaled it would find it difficult to cooperate in adopting their confirmation hearing reports, raising the pressure on the government.
People Power Party floor leader Chung Jom-sig told a press briefing at the National Assembly on the 16th that "both nominees, Kang Shin-chul and Hong Ji-sun, are unfit," adding that the government "should withdraw the nominations and name new figures who can boldly renew state affairs."
At the hearing that day, the party focused on Kang's family finances and a controversy over consolidating the military academies. On the nominee's explanation that he and his wife were unaware their eldest son had borrowed a large sum from an aunt and her husband to buy a commercial property, Chung said: "Can a defense minister who does not even know his son is borrowing 700 million won be expected to know about North Korean provocations and respond to them?"
The party also raised past allegations involving a special allotment of an apartment in Seoul's Seocho district. "Judging by how the family pulled off an operation disguising themselves as evictees, he seems to be a soldier who may not be good at standing guard but is skilled at camouflage," Chung said. On Kang's ambiguous stance on merging the military academies, Chung said, "What South Korea's defense minister post needs now is a capable, genuine soldier who values conviction and honor over personal gain."
Turning to Hong, the party argued that no shift in the current government's real estate policy could be expected, pointing to her past role overseeing the basic housing policy when President Lee Jae-myung was Gyeonggi Province governor. "With even policy chief Kim Yong-beom gone from the Lee Jae-myung government, there is deep concern that special adviser Lee Han-joo and the Seongnam and Gyeonggi line will control real estate policy and that the nominee will end up as a hands-on minister who obeys the presidential office's wishes without question," Chung said.
The party also kept up pressure to withdraw the nomination of Kim, whose hearing was held the previous day. Chung called Kim "the worst justice minister nominee in history," saying that if the appointment is pushed through, "he will face a judgment from public sentiment that is more fearsome than any trial."
Chung signaled the party was against adopting the confirmation hearing reports for all three nominees. "I need to discuss the specifics with the committee members," he said, "but as floor leader, my personal view is that it is not possible."
Ahead of President Lee's press conference set for the 18th, Chung also pressed for a change in the government's policy direction. "The government must overhaul real estate policy from scratch and make clear its will to respect the separation of powers, including the chief justice's right to recommend appointments," he said. On the question of sending troops to the Strait of Hormuz, he demanded that the government "stop testing public opinion and state its position transparently."
