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| President Moon Jae-in |
By Do Je-hae
President Moon Jae-in is taking an extra careful approach to the official appointment of his trusted aide Cho Kuk as justice minister after the prosecution's indictment of the nominee's wife late Friday on charges of document forgery.
The indictment, which took place even as Cho was undergoing a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, emerged as a new critical factor in the president's decision on the appointment of the former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs.
"At this point, it is too early to jump to conclusions. Nothing has been decided on the appointment or when it will take place," a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters Sunday. Moon has the authority to appoint Cho since the Sept. 6 deadline for the National Assembly's confirmation report has passed. He was expected to approve the appointment Sunday, following his return from a three-nation Southeast Asian tour. Cheong Wa Dae sources said that a final decision has been delayed to collect public opinion through various channels.
During his overseas tour, Moon sent a request to the Assembly to deliver a confirmation report by Sept. 6, and the Assembly rushed to hold a confirmation hearing the same day after weeks of political wrangling. Cho held a press conference prior to the hearing, which prompted criticism that the minister-nominee did not offer a sufficient explanation of all the allegations made against him and his family.
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) called for Cheong Wa Dae to withdraw Cho's nomination at an emergency Supreme Council meeting held Sunday, and to stop its alleged meddling in the prosecution's investigation of allegations involving his daughter's university-admission.
"We urge the President to give up on Cho," LKP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn said, calling the nominee a "criminal." "Moon must face the reality that the people's rage is now directed beyond Cho to the President. Friday's hearing explicitly showed that Cho should be headed not to the justice minister's office, but to the prosecution's suspect's office. He did not provide a clear explanation of any of the allegations against him and mocked the Assembly and the people with lies and false documents…This is our final call on Moon to cancel the nomination."
LKP floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won also warned that if the appointment goes through, there will be a huge resistance from the people, tantamount to an "uprising."
Several media reports said the presidential office could make the announcement Tuesday at a Cabinet meeting. But Moon could take longer to decide, as there are complex factors to consider, such as the impact of Cho's appointment on the administration. Following the mounting school admissions-related allegations against Cho's daughter, which resulted in the prosecution indicting Cho's wife, younger Koreans who had been a staunch support base for the Moon administration have started to turn their backs on the President, according to the latest surveys.
There is widespread public concern about Cho's suitability for a post charged with accomplishing Moon's cherished reform drive to transform the prosecution and the judiciary. The latest KBS survey showed that 59 percent of respondents thought that the Assembly hearing did not relieve public suspicions regarding Cho, and 49 percent were against the appointment, much higher than the 37 percent who were for it.
Cheong Wa Dae has stood by Cho despite the allegations of wrongdoing, saying that nothing has been confirmed about the allegations against the nominee himself. But if the presidential office pushes ahead with the appointment, the opposition has vowed an intense protest, which could lead to a prolonged deadlock at the Assembly that could hamper the President's push for the early passing of the 2020 budget and bills needed to revive the economy.
