[3중급] No more fiascos  

[ No more fiascos ] (대실패)

The exit of two minister nominees 1 4

this week 4

is yet more evidence 2

of President Park Geun-hye’s personnel mismanagement. 4

The problem is 1 2

that the end of the latest nomination scandals does not resolve 1 2

public misgivings 3

about the way 4

she picks candidates 6

for senior government posts. 4

Chung Sung-keun, Park’s nominee 1

for culture minister, 4

withdrew 2

his name 3

Wednesday 4

in the face 4

of mounting public and opposition criticism. 4

Chung’s decision 1

to give up nomination 4

followed 2

Park’s decision 3

to cancel her nomination 4

of Kim Myung-soo as education minister, 4

a role 3

that also carries responsibility 6

as the deputy prime minister 4

for education, social and cultural affairs. 4

Both Chung and Kim’s disgraceful exits were made 1 2

in different ways, 4

with Chung announcing his decision 4

in a press statement 4

released in his name, 6

while Kim’s replacement 4

by Hwang Woo-yea, a ruling party lawmaker, 4

was announced 2

by Park’s spokesman. 4

It is believed 1 2

that the presidential office discussed 3

in what way Chung would quit  6

because Park had been largely expected 1 2

to stick with Chung 3

despite mounting calls 4

from the opposition. 4

She apparently changed 1 2

her mind 3

after the opposition threatened to expose 4

another of Chung’s past wrongdoings 4

and even some ruling party lawmakers joined 1 2

the calls to drop him. 3

By and large, 4

both Kim, a university professor, and Chung, a former TV journalist, 1

lacked 2

the ethical standards required 3

of senior civil servants. 4

Since his nomination, 4

Kim has been dogged 2

by allegations 4

of plagiarism and other misdeeds. 4

Chung’s problems, 1

like drunken driving, 4

lying in the confirmation hearings 5

about home transactions and drinking alcohol 4

during a break 4

in the hearing, 4

are all hardly light matters. 2

It is fortunate 1 2

that this time Park and her aides did not ignore 6 2

the outcry 3

over her appointees. 4

The controversies 1

over Kim and Chung 4

followed 2

similar debacles 3 (붕괴)

over the two nominees 4

for prime minister, 4

which pulled down 6

the president’s otherwise solid approval ratings. 3

Park must have thought 1 2

about their potential impact 4

on the July 30 parliamentary 4

by-elections. 4

Whatever the motives and backgrounds might have been, 4

Park made 1 2

the right decision 3

to abandon Kim and Chung. 4

But that has not ended 1 2

her problems 3

with personnel management. 4

The appointment of Hwang is a case 1 2

in point. 4

Hwang, a former judge and five-term lawmaker, 1

lacks 2

the experience 3

he needs to serve 6

as an education minister and deputy prime minister 4

who will take charge of non-economic affairs. 6

His only involvement 1

in education 4

is that he once led  2

the National Assembly’s Education and Culture Committee. 3

A former head of the Saenuri Party, Hwang 1

is a member 2

of President Park’s inner circle 4

in the ruling party, 4

like the newly appointed deputy prime minister 4

for economy, Choi Kyung-hwan. 4

There is enough ground 1 2

for concern 4

that Park will be encircled 6

by close associates. 4

Some even argue 1

that Park installed 1 2

Hwang 3

to counter the election of Kim Moo-sung, 4

a member of a party faction not aligned 4

with Park, 4

as new leader of the ruling party. 4

It also seems

that Hwang’s nomination reflects

Park’s hope

that he will easily pass

the personnel screening,

especially the parliamentary confirmation hearings.

She must know

that lawmakers, ruling and opposition alike,

tend to be generous

toward their colleagues.

Since Park took office

in February last year,

all 28 lawmakers nominated

to top positions ―

including the latest appointees Choi

and new Gender Minister Kim Hee-jung ―

passed

the usually rigorous and hostile parliamentary screening.

Park has gone

through nightmares,

with one after another nominee

bowing out amid fierce public uproars

over ethical problems,

and she may well want

to avoid putting her

into the same trap again.

But too much reliance on politicians

would deprive her Cabinet

of professional competence.

Her efforts to find people

who are competent and have high ethical standards

should start

with the new nominee

for culture minister.

 

 

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