SEOUL, September 19 (AJP) -South Korean Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won withdrew Saturday, a day after President Lee Jae Myung said at a news conference that he had not reached a final decision on Kim’s appointment and would take public expectations into account. The move came as Lee’s approval rating fell to 37 percent, its lowest level since he took office.
Kim, a second-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party and a former judge, announced his withdrawal at the National Assembly, 20 days after Lee nominated him for the post on Aug. 30.
Kim said he decided to step aside after “deep consideration,” adding that watching Lee’s news conference Friday had cemented his decision. He said he did not want to place an additional burden on a government that must focus on improving people’s livelihoods and carrying out reforms.
Asked Friday whether he would appoint Kim, Lee said he had yet to reach a final conclusion and would make the decision carefully while considering “the public’s expectations.” Lee also said during the news conference that his administration would review its personnel system and listen more closely to public opinion following growing public dissatisfaction.
Kim had faced scrutiny during his Sept. 15 confirmation hearing over allegations involving efforts to expedite regulatory review of a COVID-19 drug and claims that a social cooperative headed by his wife received preferential treatment. Kim denied wrongdoing and rejected the allegations against him.
The National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee adopted Kim’s confirmation hearing report Thursday with Democratic Party lawmakers alone after members of the main opposition People Power Party stayed away.
The withdrawal comes as Lee faces his weakest approval numbers since taking office. A Gallup Korea survey conducted from Sept. 15 to 17 among 1,002 adults found that 37 percent approved of his job performance, down 1 percentage point from the previous week, while 56 percent disapproved, up 5 points to a record high for his presidency. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
Among respondents who disapproved of Lee’s performance, 20 percent cited real estate policy and 16 percent cited personnel appointments. At Friday’s news conference, Lee acknowledged public disappointment and pledged to take a more humble approach to governing and to reflect public opinion more closely in personnel and policy decisions.
Kim said despite giving up the Cabinet nomination, he would continue efforts in the National Assembly to complete the government’s prosecution reform agenda.
AJP Takeaways
- Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won resigned 20 days after his nomination, saying President Lee’s Friday news conference helped cement his decision.
- Lee had said he was still weighing Kim’s appointment and would consider public expectations while reviewing his administration’s personnel system.
- Lee’s approval rating fell to a presidency-low 37 percent, while negative evaluations rose to 56 percent, according to Gallup Korea.
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