Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, criticized the People Power Party on August 31 for its extreme rhetoric following the announcement of a cabinet reshuffle the previous day. He stated that the opposition party immediately resorted to accusations of "state terrorism" upon the announcement of the new appointments.
During a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Han remarked, "Even before the confirmation hearing schedule was set, they have begun to label and smear the nominees." He specifically called out the false claims being spread about Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, stating, "They are spreading lies that he is a lawyer from the Daejang-dong case. There is no story like this in fiction."
Han emphasized that verification should occur during the confirmation hearings based on facts and evidence, arguing that casting doubt before the process begins is tantamount to declaring an intention to politicize the hearings.
He also assured that the Democratic Party would thoroughly verify the capabilities and qualifications of public office candidates from the perspective of the public and would respond firmly to any political maneuvers by the opposition. He stressed the importance of completing the confirmation hearings for cabinet members swiftly before the Chuseok holiday to prevent any gaps in government operations.
Meanwhile, the Blue House announced the nomination of several key positions the day before, including Lee Hyung-il as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Kim Seung-won as Minister of Justice, Kang Shin-cheol as Minister of National Defense, Lee So-young as Minister of SMEs and Startups, Hong Ji-sun as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Yong Hye-in as Minister of Gender Equality and Family.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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