Lee Jae-myung Government Cabinet Reshuffle, Youth Backlash Spreads

The Lee Jae-myung government's second cabinet reshuffle announcement is causing a stir in political circles. The reshuffle list includes Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's nomination as Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Assemblyman Kim Seung-won's nomination as Minister of Justice, and former Deputy Commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, Kang Shin-chul's nomination as Minister of National Defense. In particular, the appointment of Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in, who comes from an opposition proportional representation background, surprised many.

Kim Hye-ji expressed her surprise at this appointment, saying, "It was yesterday, and suddenly, Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in became a minister, and for our Minister of National Defense, they ousted Minister Ahn Gyu-baek and appointed the former Deputy Commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command who was in the Ministry of National Defense during the Yoon Suk-yeol government. I was quite surprised to hear that."

Suspicions are being raised that Assemblyman Kim Seung-won's nomination as Minister of Justice is intended to defend Lee Jae-myung's trials. Kim Hye-ji mentioned Assemblyman Kim Seung-won's past history of spearheading the 'indictment withdrawal special prosecutor' initiative, analyzing that this appointment itself reflects an intention to resolve Lee Jae-myung's judicial risks. As the former Minister of Justice is known to have resigned after opposing the indictment withdrawal, this nomination is further fueling controversy.

Strong criticism is being leveled against Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's ministerial nomination, calling it a smokescreen for 'aggro' and a flaw of the abnormal electoral system. Kim Hye-ji raised fundamental questions about a proportional representative serving as a minister, stating, "This is someone who has never received a single vote from the public. She served two terms as a proportional representative and is now becoming a minister." Furthermore, Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's political actions, which have caused repulsion among both feminists and men, are also targets of criticism. This highlights the public's dissatisfaction with unelected proportional representatives holding key positions.

An analysis suggests that one should not get bogged down in the controversy surrounding Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's nomination, but rather focus on Lee Jae-myung's intent to defend his trials. Moon Seong-ho raised the possibility that Yong Hye-in's nomination could be a smokescreen to cover up Kim Seung-won's appointment as Minister of Justice, arguing that the essence of this appointment is Lee Jae-myung's attempt to withdraw charges and avoid trials. He emphasized, "This is, in a way, my area of expertise. We shouldn't criticize Yong Hye-in too much. This is Lee Jae-myung's desperate struggle to somehow get the charges dropped by then, so he doesn't have to stand trial himself. I think we should focus on this first." As such, the Yong Hye-in controversy is taking on a more complex aspect, intertwined with Lee Jae-myung's judicial risks.

Concerns have been raised that the Democratic Party's approval rating could fall into the 20% range due to Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's ministerial nomination. Seonwoo Yoon-ho stated, "Wow, now, truly, even because of the 'Yong Hye-in effect,' though there are various fundamental issues like Kim Seung-won, aren't we going to drop to the 20s because of Yong Hye-in?" He mentioned that even within the left, a decline in approval ratings due to the 'Yong Hye-in effect' is anticipated. This suggests that negative public opinion towards Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in could seriously impact the Democratic Party's overall approval rating.

Controversies surrounding Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's past actions and attitude have resurfaced. Kim Hye-ji referred to an incident where Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in once rebuked a Ministry of National Defense official, saying, "Was it General? Hey, speak properly." She pointed out that this disrespectful attitude and image of wielding power are targets of criticism. These past controversies are being revisited in light of her ministerial nomination, drawing critical public attention.

Ironically, the conservative camp seems to welcome Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's appointment as a minister. Moon Seong-ho said that if Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in becomes a minister, "she will definitely cause a huge amount of trouble, cause trouble every day, and that will make it easier for us to draw battle lines and engage in struggles against the ruling party. Please, just do it." This seems to be based on the judgment that controversial figures make it easier to strengthen the opposition party's fighting power and lead the political situation. The conservative camp is signaling its intention to use Yong Hye-in's ministerial appointment as an opportunity to further spread critical public opinion against the current government.

Controversy continues over Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's 'working mom concept' and its political utilization. Kim Hye-ji mentioned the incident of bringing a child to the National Assembly, saying, "At that time, when I saw Yong Hye-in, I thought, 'What is that person? She has adopted a working mom concept.' But it turns out that her aides looked after the child, and she was somewhat arrogant, and now she is the one who constantly advocates for the anti-discrimination law." This is accompanied by the claim that Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's working mom image is different from reality, leading to criticism that her political actions are using a specific concept. This controversy leaves room for interpretation as a political show rather than a genuine representation of the difficulties of working mothers.

There is a strong call for the People Power Party to prepare thoroughly for Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's confirmation hearing. Moon Seong-ho warned, "If they don't prepare properly this time and don't conduct the hearing properly, it will only end up increasing this person's recognition." Given that Assemblywoman Yong Hye-in's recognition stems from her strong attitude, it is pointed out that if the People Power Party is confined by Confucian sentiment and fails to exert proper fighting power, it could ironically only increase the candidate's recognition. Therefore, there is a dominant opinion that thorough preparation and strategic response from the confirmation committee members, including Assemblywoman Kang Seon-young, are necessary. There is a growing demand for the People Power Party to not merely criticize but to lead the hearing with concrete verification and logical refutation.

Criticism of the Lee Jae-myung government's defense policy and ministerial nominations is growing. Moon Seong-ho argued, "The consolidation of military academies is the most effective way to weaken the military," and expressed concern that former Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek's lack of expertise in the National Defense Committee and his attempts to consolidate military academies could weaken national defense. With ongoing threats from North Korea and China, and concerns about the risks of an oversized army, calls for in-depth discussion on the Lee Jae-myung government's overall defense policy continue.

Concerns have been raised that the judicial system's vacuum is deepening due to the combined effect of the abolition of prosecutorial investigative powers and declining police trust. Kim Hye-ji pointed out that in a situation where trust in the police has been lost due to incidents like the Jeju disappearance case and autopsy result controversy, and with prosecutorial investigative powers also being reduced, "as people lose trust in the police, the necessity of prosecutors continues to emerge, but prosecutors are now disappearing." This is interpreted as a warning that it could heighten public anxiety about public safety and lead to overall distrust in the judicial system. There is a growing call for urgent policy alternatives to restore balance and trust in the judicial system.

A warning has been issued, using the case of Gyeonggi Province, about the risks that prolonged progressive rule could pose to national finances. Moon Seong-ho stated, "In Gyeonggi Province, where progressives have continuously held power, as soon as a progressive Gyeonggi Provincial Governor took office, he immediately said, 'We must declare a moratorium. We are going bankrupt.'" He argued that the economic policies of progressive governments could lead to fiscal ruin. This emphasizes the difficulties conservative governments face in rectifying and restoring finances, and reveals a critical view of progressive governments' reckless financial management. Therefore, there is a growing call for more policy deliberation to secure national fiscal soundness.

Doubts have been raised about the potential success of the Democratic Party TV, a project being pursued by the Democratic Party, and criticism has emerged that Chairman Kim Min-seok's strategy is out of touch with reality. Seonwoo Yoon-ho said, "Seeing them enter a game they cannot win, it seems Chairman Kim Min-seok is not discerning well. And first of all, the Korean people dislike government-controlled broadcasting." This reflects concerns that the special characteristics of the YouTube environment and the Democratic Party's 'government-controlled broadcasting' image will clash, weakening content competitiveness.

It was pointed out that the more severe the party's interference, the more viewers will turn away, and an analysis suggested that Chairman Kim Min-seok's political sense is not keeping up with contemporary media trends. There is a strong call for Democratic Party TV to break free from party control and produce autonomous and original content to succeed.

The People Power Party's Supreme Council meeting approved the direct election of party members, and accordingly, applications for district chapter chairpersons will be pursued. Kim Hye-ji stated, "Today, the direct election of party members was approved at the Supreme Council meeting. Starting from this, we will first accept applications for the 34 troubled district chapters of our People Power Party, and party members will directly elect the district chapter chairpersons." This means that the direct election of party members for the 34 troubled district chapters will begin, and an evaluation of current district chapter chairpersons is scheduled through year-end party audits. This shows the People Power Party's determination to expand member participation and strengthen intra-party democracy.

The persistent robustness of the People Power Party's internal establishment and the difficulty of intra-party reform have been confirmed. Moon Seong-ho, citing Representative Jang Dong-hyeok's analysis of the party's situation, said, "I think it should be highly praised that he drew with these old guard figures who have solidified their vested interests in the People Power Party, a conservative party, for a very long time, from the perspective of the weak." This shows that the confrontation with the intra-party establishment is not easy and how difficult a task real reform is. It is pointed out that for the People Power Party to achieve true change, it needs strong reform will and wisdom to overcome the resistance of the establishment.

A diagnosis of the reasons for the stagnant approval rating of conservative parties has been made. Moon Seong-ho pointed out, "Although the Democratic Party government's approval rating is falling, no conservative party is gaining that approval rating. The public understands that the Democratic Party made mistakes, but there's still a question mark as to whether you (the conservative party) can restore this." This explains the current situation where even if the Democratic Party's approval rating declines, conservative parties are not absorbing that support. The public recognizes the Democratic Party's failures but questions whether conservative parties can truly be an alternative. Therefore, conservative parties face the task of restoring public trust and presenting concrete alternatives to prove their legitimacy.