Jang Dong-hyuk: "What Disqualifies People Is a Reason for the President to Pick Someone—This Reshuffle Will Become the Administration’s Grave"

[Financial News] People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk took aim directly at President Lee Jae Myung on the 10th over the controversy surrounding Kim Seung-won, nominee for minister of the Ministry of Justice, and Yong Hye-in, nominee for minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. He said, "What are disqualifying factors for the public are grounds for selection by the president." Jang argued that pushing ahead with confirmation hearings despite opposition demands for the two nominees to resign was intended to pave the way for a future constitutional amendment and nominations.
At a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea that day, Jang said, "The essence of this cabinet reshuffle is nominations and a left-wing cartel," adding, "This mess happened because they tried to use the reshuffle as a tool for extending dictatorship." He continued, "The source of every problem is this president."
Jang stepped up his offensive against Kim Seung-won by raising allegations from the opposition, including claims that he solicited favors for approval of a new drug’s clinical trial.
Jang claimed, "Did the president not know about Kim Seung-won’s ‘rat-poison stock manipulation,’ which made 30,000 small shareholders shed tears of blood?" He added, "He was nominated as a nomination assault squad member because the more flaws he has, the more obedient he will be."
He continued, "What are disqualifying factors for the public are grounds for selection by the president," and criticized the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "It is holding out through a hearing without witnesses. How is that any different from a used-car scammer who deceives people into buying a flood-damaged vehicle?"
Jang also continued his offensive against Yong Hye-in. Referring to Yong’s past political claims and the controversy over her retaining her parliamentary seat, Jang asserted, "The president must have known for certain," adding, "He must also have known that she would not abandon her proportional-representation seat and would protect the organization."
In particular, Jang claimed that Yong’s political organization had longstanding ties with Lee Jae Myung, saying, "They are comrades who have been closely connected since his days as mayor of Seongnam-si." He added, "Yong Hye-in’s underground organization was Lee Jae Myung’s underground organization." He continued, "Now they are trying to transplant that underground organization into the heart of power," and claimed, "All of this is a nomination and second-term constitutional amendment plan leading to left-wing dictatorship." Jang said, "They are abandoning the public, joining hands with the left, and heading toward dictatorship," adding, "They fear the left turning its back on them more than they fear their approval rating among the public falling."
Jang emphasized that if confirmation hearings for the two nominees were actually held, they would instead become a political burden for the president. He said, "If this goes as far as a hearing, it will only expose President Lee Jae Myung’s hidden agenda," adding, "In the end, this cabinet reshuffle will become the administration’s grave."
Jang argued that President Lee Jae Myung’s recent remark that "the term of office is clearly limited under the Constitution" should not be interpreted as meaning that he has no intention of seeking a second term. Jang said, "He has not said that there will be no constitutional amendment by political trickery for a second term, nor has he said that he will not seek a second term," adding, "There is absolutely no reason to make a fuss over whether he will seek a second term based on that one remark." He then linked the cabinet reshuffle to discussions of constitutional revision, saying, "If he wants to do it one more time, a constitutional amendment by political trickery is essential."

[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter