[ED] Lee should have courage to correct his mistake

President Lee Jae Myung faces pressure over his nomination of Rep. Kim Seung-won as justice minister, as critics urge him to withdraw the pick. The editorial says Lee should correct the mistake because his approval rating is falling, divisions inside the Democratic Party of Korea are widening, and public opinion is unfavorable. It says civic groups and polls show Kim lacks support, while Lee’s Friday press conference could give him a chance to reverse course.

The KSOI poll released Wednesday found 52.1 percent of respondents opposed Kim Seung-won’s nomination and 25.1 percent supported it.

The survey polled 1,001 people on Sept. 14-15 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy said Kim was unfit for the justice minister post and cited his past record of drunk driving and registering a false address for his children’s schooling.

The Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice had already called on Kim to withdraw his nomination about a week earlier.

DPK Chairman Kim Min-seok compared the party’s internal turmoil to the 2004 crisis when dissidents joined an impeachment campaign against then-President Roh Moo-hyun.

Published Sep 17, 2026 1:47 pm KST

Lee should withdraw justice minister nomination

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won speaks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on Tuesday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung faces a critical decision: He can proceed with the appointment of his justice minister nominee, Rep. Kim Seung-won of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), or he can acknowledge a mistake and withdraw the nomination.

Doing so would require courage. Admitting a mistake is never easy, but it can be a sign of political courage. And in this case, that courage could pay off. The decision Lee makes now could have consequences that shape the remainder of his presidency.

A red flag has been raised over Lee’s leadership. His support base appears to be weakening, with a series of recent public opinion polls showing his job approval rating falling to a new low. Lee and the ruling party are facing a dual crisis.

Externally, declining approval has made it more difficult for Lee to maintain momentum behind his major policy agendas. Internally, deepening divisions within the DPK have become another source of concern. Tensions between Lee’s aides and party members critical of the president are increasingly visible.

The rift within the ruling party has become so serious that DPK Chairman Kim Min-seok compared the current situation to the turmoil of 2004, when some dissidents in the ruling party joined the main opposition party’s campaign to impeach then-President Roh Moo-hyun. His remarks underscored the seriousness of the crisis confronting Lee.

If Lee ignores calls to withdraw his justice minister nominee, he will have to bear the consequences. And he himself could ultimately pay the highest political price. There is little reason for him to take a step that could risk his presidency.

Civic groups are also opposing the nominee. The left-leaning People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) has publicly rejected Lee’s choice of Kim, saying the nominee is unfit to serve as justice minister.

In a statement released Wednesday, the civic group said Kim had failed to demonstrate that he was the right person to lead the justice ministry.

“The justice minister is in charge of overall legal affairs and therefore a minister nominee is expected to display higher standards on the rule of law and ethics,” the statement said. “However, considering Kim’s past records of driving under the influence and registering a false address to help his children attend competitive schools in a desirable school district, we believe the nominee is seriously flawed for the job.”

It is unusual for a progressive civic group to publicly reject a Cabinet nominee selected by Lee. The PSPD’s criticism came about a week after another civic group, the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice, called on Kim to withdraw his nomination.

Public opinion toward the nominee is also unfavorable. More than half of those surveyed said Kim was unfit for the position. The latest KSOI poll, released Wednesday, found that 52.1 percent of respondents opposed his nomination, while 25.1 percent supported Lee’s choice. The survey of 1,001 people was conducted Sept. 14-15 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Despite the negative public sentiment, the ruling party has remained steadfast in its support for Kim. Following Tuesday’s confirmation hearing, DPK members of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press conference to reaffirm their support, saying Kim was the right person to lead the justice ministry.

The ruling party’s defense of the nominee reflects its own concerns. Of the six Cabinet nominees, Rep. Yong Hye-in, nominated for gender equality minister, has already withdrawn from consideration. If Kim follows suit, the DPK fears it could further weaken Lee’s authority over state affairs.

But that position may prove short-sighted. Lee may be tempted to demonstrate that he remains firmly in charge and has the authority to choose the people he wants around him. Political authority, however, also depends on maintaining public trust.

If Lee appoints Kim as justice minister, the decision could carry a considerable political cost. Polls show that a majority of respondents oppose the nomination. Proceeding despite that opposition could further erode public sentiment toward Lee and make it more difficult for him to rally support for his policies.

Lee should take that public sentiment seriously.

His press conference scheduled for Friday provides an opportunity to announce the withdrawal of Kim’s nomination. Politicians rarely benefit from openly defying public opinion, particularly when they have an opportunity to correct course.

The ball is in Lee’s court. The choice is ultimately his. But if he wants to restore public confidence in his leadership, withdrawing Kim’s nomination could be an important first step.

韩国总统李在明提名金承源议员担任法务部长官一职，面临巨大压力，批评人士敦促他撤回提名。社论指出，李在明应纠正这一错误，因为他的支持率正在下降，韩国民主党内部的分裂日益加剧，民意也对他不利。社论称，民间团体和民调显示金承源缺乏支持，而李在明周五的记者招待会或许能给他一个改变主意的机会。

韩国社会科学研究院（KSOI）周三公布的民调显示，52.1%的受访者反对金承元的提名，25.1%的受访者支持该提名。

该调查于 9 月 14 日至 15 日对 1001 人进行了民意调查，误差幅度为正负 3.1 个百分点。

参与式民主人民团结组织表示，金某不适合担任司法部长一职，并列举了他过去的酒后驾车记录以及为子女入学登记虚假地址等行为。

大约一周前，公民经济正义联盟就已经呼吁金撤回他的提名。

朝鲜民主主义人民党主席金珉锡将该党的内部动荡与2004年的危机相提并论，当时异议人士加入了针对时任总统卢武铉的弹劾运动。

发布于2026年9月17日下午1:47（韩国标准时间）

李应该撤回司法部长提名

周二，法务部长官提名人金承元在国会接受任命听证会时发表讲话。（韩联社）

李在明总统面临着一个关键的决定：他可以继续任命他提名的法务部长官，即执政党共同民主党的金承元议员，或者他可以承认错误并撤回提名。

这样做需要勇气。承认错误从来都不容易，但这却是政治勇气的体现。而就此而言，这种勇气或许会带来回报。李现在做出的决定，可能会对其剩余的总统任期产生深远的影响。

李光耀的领导能力已发出危险信号。他的支持基础似乎正在削弱，近期一系列民意调查显示，他的支持率跌至新低。李光耀和执政党正面临双重危机。

外部来看，支持率的下降使得李登辉难以维持其主要政策议程的推进势头。内部来看，民主党内部日益加深的分裂也成为另一个令人担忧的问题。李登辉的助手与批评总统的党员之间的紧张关系日益明显。

执政党内部的分裂已变得如此严重，以至于共同民主党委员长金珉锡将当前局势与2004年的动荡相提并论。当时，执政党内的一些异议人士加入了主要反对党发起的弹劾时任总统卢武铉的运动。他的言论凸显了李在镕所面临的危机的严重性。

如果李光耀无视撤回其司法部长提名的呼声，他将承担后果。而他本人最终可能付出最沉重的政治代价。他几乎没有理由采取可能危及自己总统宝座的举动。

民间团体也反对这项提名。左倾的“参与式民主人民团结会”（PSPD）公开反对李明博选择金某担任司法部长官，称其不适合担任此职。

该公民团体周三发表声明称，金正恩未能证明自己是领导司法部的合适人选。

声明称：“司法部长负责全面法律事务，因此部长提名人选理应展现更高的法治和道德标准。然而，考虑到金某曾有酒后驾车记录，以及为了让子女进入名校就读而登记虚假地址，我们认为该提名人选严重不符合担任此职的要求。”

进步派公民团体公开反对李显龙提名的内阁人选实属罕见。就在PSPD提出批评的一周前，另一个公民团体——“公民经济正义联盟”——也呼吁金正日撤回提名。

公众对这位候选人的看法也不乐观。超过半数的受访者认为金正恩不适合担任这一职务。韩国社会研究所（KSOI）周三发布的最新民调显示，52.1%的受访者反对提名他，而25.1%的受访者支持李明博的选择。这项于9月14日至15日进行的调查访问了1001人，误差幅度为正负3.1个百分点。

尽管公众舆论负面，执政党仍坚定支持金正恩。周二的确认听证会后，朝鲜民主主义人民共和国国会立法司法委员会成员召开记者会，重申对金正恩的支持，称他是领导司法部的合适人选。

执政党对提名人的辩护反映了其自身的担忧。在六位内阁提名人中，被提名为性别平等部长的李容燮议员已经退出竞选。如果金正恩也效仿，共同民主党担心这将进一步削弱李在镕对国家事务的掌控。

但这种立场或许目光短浅。李可能会试图表明自己仍然牢牢掌控大局，并有权选择自己想要的亲信。然而，政治权威也取决于能否维护公众的信任。

如果李明博任命金正恩为法务部长官，这一决定可能会付出相当大的政治代价。民调显示，大多数受访者反对这项提名。无视反对意见强行推进，可能会进一步削弱公众对李明博的支持率，并使其更难争取民众支持其政策。

李应该认真对待这种民意。

他定于周五举行的记者招待会提供了一个宣布撤回金正恩提名的机会。政治人物很少会因为公开违背民意而获益，尤其是在有机会纠正错误的时候。

现在主动权在李明博手中，最终的选择权在他手中。但如果他想重塑公众对其领导能力的信心，撤回对金正恩的提名或许是重要的第一步。