Opposition leaders call for a swift cabinet reshuffling

Opposition leaders call for a swift cabinet reshuffling. July. 19, 2016 07:00. by 한상준 기자alwaysj@donga.com. The three opposition parties are demanding en masse an apology from President Park Geun-hye and a cabinet reshuffle amid a torrent of controversies surrounding the scandalous property deal of the in-laws of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Woo Byeong-woo, the arrest of senior prosecutor Jin Kyung-jun, and deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. In particular, the opposition parties are pointing their finger at the presidential secretary, who is at the center of controversy.

“Justice minister apologized to the people over a case where a senior prosecutor was arrested on the charge of corruption, but this matter cannot be resolved with an apology,” said Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea. “This calls for a discussion on the dismissal of the justice minister and the prosecutor general.”

The floor leader added, “The case has confirmed that it is impossible to prevent behind-the-scenes deals and bribe exchanges between those in power without an agency dedicated to investigating the corruption of civil servants,” calling for the establishment of an investigative body committed to investigating on public office workers.

Park Jie-won, the head of the emergency planning committee of the People’s Party, was even blunter. “The phalanx of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, scattered across the government and institutes, must be removed,” Park told an emergency committee meeting on Monday. “At the pinnacle of power, Woo peddled his influence over personnel choice and inspections, and he even left the presidential sectary hamstrung. It was a time bomb waiting for detonation."

Noh Hoe-chan, the floor leader of the minor opposition Justice Party, also denounced the presidential secretary, saying, “If the allegations turn out to be true, President Park, who appointed him two years ago, must apologize to our citizens.”

The opposition leaders said in unison that an overall cabinet reform must be implemented. “In addition to the indifferent attitude of the cabinet members, there are a host of issues to deal with. It deeply worries me that the president is bent on an unfruitful diplomatic trip abroad when things are much dire at home,” said Kim Jong-in, the Minjoo Party's emergency committee chairman. “We must revamp the cabinet and the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, and the president must apologize and soothe the anger of the people.”

Park Jie-won of the People’s Party also said, “An overall cabinet reshuffling must be implemented as soon as possible to show remorse to the public.”