The opposition is ramping up its criticism of President Lee Jae-myung's second cabinet reshuffle on September 3. They are particularly demanding the withdrawal of the nominations for Minister of Justice Kim Seung-won and Minister of Gender Equality and Family Yong Hye-in.
Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, criticized Kim on his Facebook, stating that the allegations against him regarding 'bribery for drug facilitation' are a clear case of bribery. He emphasized, "Even if no money changes hands, the mere intent to offer a bribe can lead to a prison sentence of up to five years. This is clearly a serious crime."
Regarding the cancellation of charges against President Lee, Kim stated, "As a candidate for Minister of Justice, I will adhere to the law and principles. The decision to maintain charges in individual cases is the prosecutor's prerogative, and I will respect that authority."
In response, Jang remarked, "If this is sincere, then President Lee should be very concerned. If charges are not dropped, why would we appoint someone with so many issues as Minister of Justice?" He further stated, "If the charges are not dropped, then President Lee should withdraw the nomination. If he does not, it will be like a rigged game of Go-Stop."
Meanwhile, Ahn Cheol-soo also targeted Yong, stating on his Facebook that there is growing public anger towards her. He claimed, "Yong is demanding privileges by seeking re-election through proportional representation while also holding a ministerial position, as if it were a given."
Ahn dismissed reports that the Blue House had expressed negative sentiments about Yong's dual roles, questioning whether she was presented to the public without relinquishing any of her positions or if the nomination was made without proper verification.
Additionally, a recent poll conducted by the Reform Party revealed that more than 60% of respondents view the second cabinet reshuffle under President Lee negatively. The survey, which included 1,017 individuals aged 18 and older, found that 65.0% believed the reshuffle was a mistake. Among these, 51.9% said it was 'very wrong' and 13.1% said it was 'somewhat wrong.'
Furthermore, 59.7% of respondents expressed a negative outlook on how this reshuffle would impact future governance, compared to 26.9% who held a positive view.
This poll was conducted using a wireless RDD method with an automatic response system, and it has a margin of error of ±3.1% at a 95% confidence level. The response rate was 3.48%.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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