Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won said on the 19th that he would step down, 20 days after his nomination, prompting the ruling party to say it "respects" the decision while the opposition charged that he "was forced out."
Rep. Seo Young-kyo of the Democratic Party of Korea, who chairs the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said on Facebook shortly after the withdrawal that Kim "stepped down voluntarily after much deliberation, for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration and the stability of state affairs," adding that she respects his decision.
Rep. Kim Eui-kyeom, the Democratic Party's liaison on the judiciary committee, said he would "get to the bottom of the illegal leak of investigative records and the targeted investigation as the committee liaison," stressing that "reform must no longer be halted inside the filing cabinets of political prosecutors."
The opposition responded immediately. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook the same day that Kim's exit was "a resignation in name only — he was forced out."
Citing the Democratic Party's adoption of the confirmation hearing report on Kim, Jang said, "President Lee Jae-myung would have tried to change the game with a press conference and push through Kim Seung-won's appointment." He added, "But the press conference turned out disastrous. They were cornered to the point where they had no choice but to cut Kim Seung-won loose."
Jang continued, "Even on his way out, Kim Seung-won blamed others and blamed the prosecution," and asked, "Is he stepping down while claiming he did nothing wrong?" He added, "The time for a 'minister' is over, and the time for an 'investigation' has begun," stressing that "stock manipulation, human experimentation on citizens and the family association must all be properly investigated."
The Presidential Office said of the withdrawal that it "understands the nominee made the decision to reduce the burden on state affairs," adding that "any necessary follow-up procedures will proceed in accordance with established rules."
