People Power Party brands Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won 'Cho Kuk of 2026,' warns that forcing his appointment will bring down the Lee Jae-myung government
The People Power Party on the 13th branded Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won as the "Cho Kuk of 2026," warning that forcing through his appointment would bring about the downfall of the Lee Jae-myung government. In a statement that day, PPP chief spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon argued that the various allegations surrounding the nominee echo the college admissions scandal involving former Justice Minister Cho Kuk during the Moon Jae-in administration. "If the Cho Kuk scandal was a betrayal of the fairness and justice this government promised itself, the Kim nominee goes beyond that," she said.
Chief spokesperson Choi claimed the nominee was a former "co-representative of a group seeking to overturn the president's prosecution." "This is placing the final puzzle piece to defend the president's legal risks in the justice minister's seat," she said, adding that "the collapse of the nation's entire judicial system is a real concern."
House chief spokesperson Choi Eun-seok of the same party pushed back against Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok's comment on the 11th that "the more you watch him, the more impressive this appointment looks." "The justice ministry is not a post where allegations can be swept aside by a single impulsive word from the ruling party's leader," he said. Citing allegations that Kim lobbied for approval of a new drug clinical trial and granted favors by hiring the son of a judge he knew as a legislative aide in his office, he criticized: "The Democratic Party is even blocking the key figures in these allegations from testifying at the confirmation hearing." "If this were truly an excellent appointment, there would be nothing to hide and no reason to block witnesses," he added, calling for a proper hearing to be guaranteed.
Rep. Na Kyung-won wrote on Facebook that all 44 witnesses requested by the opposition for the nominee's confirmation hearing had been rejected, producing a hearing with "zero witnesses." She demanded the immediate withdrawal of the nomination for the second cabinet.
