Will Democratic Party's Cabinet Reshuffle Poison Approval Ratings?

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook evaluated the Democratic Party's cabinet reshuffle as having "definitely favored many left-wing figures." The appointments of particular individuals such as Vice Minister Lee Young-il, Rep. Kim Seung-won, and General Kang Shin-chul, as well as the appointments of Hong Ji-sun as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Lee So-young as Minister of SMEs and Startups, were cited as examples. In particular, the appointment of Rep. Yong Hye-in as Minister of Gender Equality and Family was described as a "symbol of such extreme-left actions."

The host conveyed that public opinion among Democratic Party supporters regarding this reshuffle is "very bad." It was reported that in pro-Democratic Party communities like 'Clien,' expressions of backlash such as "I'm ashamed" and "that I voted for Lee Jae-myung with my own hands" were surfacing, along with feelings of self-reproach for choosing Chairman Lee Jae-myung.

Questions were raised about whether voters genuinely understand the direction the left wing is pursuing when they offer their support.

The host viewed the current situation of the Democratic Party's support base as a paradoxical opportunity where "if the conservative right wing performs just a little well," approval ratings "could potentially skyrocket." The analysis suggested that if the conservative right effectively explains its values, approval ratings could rise, and predicted that the People Power Party's success in completing reforms would be key to an increase in support.

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook strongly criticized, "To be blunt, there are too many members within the People Power Party who become National Assembly members without knowing what liberalism is or what conservatism is." He pointed out that while supporters understand conservative values, the politicians of the People Power Party themselves lack an understanding of liberalism and conservatism.

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook expressed concern, saying, "Whenever a left-wing government takes power, military security information keeps leaking, which leads to delays and a cessation of intelligence exchange." He pointed out that weakened military intelligence sharing with the United States could pose a serious threat to national security, and that intelligence exchange could be suspended due to the possibility of security breaches.

The host explained that it is customary for a proportional representative National Assembly member, when nominated as a minister, to usually resign from their parliamentary seat, allowing the next person on the list to take over. However, in this reshuffle, the stance of "serving as both a proportional representative and a minister" has become controversial, drawing criticism as a double privilege for simultaneously holding both National Assembly and ministerial positions.

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook pointed out the contradiction in the Korean constitution, saying, "I want to emphasize that our constitutional system is actually a bit removed from the original presidential system." He viewed the possibility of cabinet ministers also serving as assembly members as a typical element of a parliamentary cabinet system, adding, "This structure where assembly members and ministers concurrently serve, enjoying what can be seen as a double privilege, is actually our constitutional system."

The host explained that each National Assembly member operates an organization of 10 people, with 9 aides. In addition to their salary, including vehicle support and office expenses, he pointed out the enormous budget allocated to one National Assembly member, stating, "1.1 billion won? The money is much, much greater."

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook asserted, "A characteristic of the left wing is that their sensitivity to profit is actually more developed than that of the conservative right." He stated that while the right wing possesses "values based on fair skill and productivity-based compensation," the left wing, he said, "I have always felt, is highly sensitive to 'wealth creation through power'."

The host mentioned that nominee Kim Seung-won was a co-representative of the 'Assembly Members' Meeting for Lee Jae-myung's Indictment Withdrawal' and raised suspicions that his appointment as Minister of Justice was "to ensure Lee Jae-myung's trial is eliminated, that is, to withdraw the indictment." PenNmike analyzed this as a strategic move to resolve Chairman Lee Jae-myung's judicial risks.

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook said that as the confirmation hearings proceed, the nominees' "past actions will once again be brought into public light." With Realmeter's survey showing Lee Jae-myung's government's approval ratings dropping to the 30% range for the first time, it was anticipated that the personnel vetting process of this cabinet reshuffle "will have a further negative impact" on approval ratings.

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook criticized Chairman Lee Jae-myung's unique style, saying, "If the cabinet reshuffle resulted from an approval rating crisis, it should be a reshuffle that can raise approval ratings," but instead, "it's like saying 'So what?' and pushing ahead even further." He predicted that such an autocratic style of state governance, ignoring public sentiment, "will lead to further drops in approval ratings."

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook emphasized, "From the perspective of judicial independence, the power to choose active individuals rests with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court." He explained that the President's appointing power means "respecting the Chief Justice's nomination unless it is revealed that the nominated person is utterly unacceptable and cannot uphold the constitutional system of the Republic of Korea." He clarified that the principle is to respect the nomination as long as there is no issue with upholding the constitutional system.

First, he stated it is unconstitutional that "when the Chief Justice makes a nomination, the National Assembly should also be granted monitoring rights, but this was not done." Second, he criticized that "the President rejecting a nomination because they don't like it, rather than selecting a person they want, while the nominated person should be respected unless there is a disqualifying reason," is "a clear infringement of judicial independence." He believes that rejecting a nomination without political bias or disqualifying reasons, simply because it is not to the President's liking, has unconstitutional implications.

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook asserted, "The President's rejection itself is unconstitutional." He pointed out that the formal consent procedure of the National Assembly was not followed, and that the President's power of appointment "is not to appoint a Supreme Court Justice of his liking." Therefore, he suggested that the "strongest move" that Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae could take is to "renominate and then, with the same logic as mine, also go to the National Assembly and demand that the President provide constitutional reasons for refusing the appointment." He presented the renomination of Chief Judge Son Bong-ki as a principled solution to uphold judicial independence.

Lawyer Hwang Seong-wook warned that if a nomination is made from the remaining candidates, "a logical contradiction arises where it is interpreted as the President having the power to appoint someone he likes." He criticized, "It means there is no intention to understand the meaning of our Constitution stating that Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the President with the recommendation of the Chief Justice and the consent of the National Assembly," emphasizing that it is an act of ignoring the fundamental reasons why the Constitution established the Chief Justice's nomination power and the National Assembly's consent power.

As a second-best option, resuming the normal process through the Supreme Court Justice Recommendation Committee was suggested.