Lee faces no-win dilemma as justice minister nominee row threatens prosecution reform

President Lee Jae Myung faces pressure over Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, with aides saying he may press ahead despite approval-rating risks. The nomination has become tied to Lee’s prosecution reform drive and a broader clash with political prosecutors. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea adopted Kim’s confirmation hearing report Thursday, while the main opposition People Power Party threatened street protests. A KSOI poll found 52.1 percent opposed the nomination and 25.1 percent supported it.

The Korea Society Opinion Institute survey found that 52.1 percent of respondents opposed Kim Seung-won’s appointment, while 25.1 percent supported it.

The survey questioned 1,001 adults nationwide on Monday and Tuesday.

The parliamentary committee adopted the confirmation hearing report for Kim two days after his hearing, meeting the three-day statutory deadline.

Rep. Yong Hye-in stepped down as gender equality minister nominee Sunday, making four ministerial nominees who have failed to be appointed since Lee took office last year.

The article says the four failed nominees were all women and notes that Yong never reached the hearing stage.

Published Sep 17, 2026 4:28 pm KST

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won takes an oath during a parliametary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung is facing a high-stakes dilemma over his justice minister nominee: push forward with Kim Seung-won's appointment at the cost of further eroding his approval ratings or withdraw the nomination and lose momentum on his flagship prosecution reform agenda.

Political insiders suggest Lee will press ahead regardless. Analysts say he is likely to frame the standoff as a defining battle for prosecutorial reform — a direct confrontation with what his camp describes as political prosecutors resistant to change.

“The (ruling) Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) appears poised to push forward with the appointment, while opposition parties are expected to gauge public sentiment following President Lee’s press conference scheduled on Friday before deciding whether to launch full-fledged street protests,” Seo Yang-ho, a political commentator and former mayor of Seoul’s Jung District, was quoted saying.

“At its core, Kim Seung-won's nomination is not simply a Cabinet appointment; it represents a fundamental clash between forces driving President Lee’s signature prosecution reform and political prosecutors resisting it. Consequently, the administration and ruling camp have little choice but to press ahead with the confirmation.”

Another political commentator, Kim Min-ha, echoed this view, noting that with the president's support ratings expected to fall regardless, the DPK sees little reason not to proceed with the appointment.

“Even within the DPK, there appears to be an understanding that forcing the appointment through will trigger a drop in approval ratings. However, with ratings already taking a hit regardless, the prevailing sentiment seems that it is better to secure the ministerial post instead of quitting,” Kim told CBS Thursday.

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Lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party hold placards reading "Kim Seung-won Out" and "Kang Shin-chul Out" at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Public opposition crosses majority threshold

A Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) survey found that 52.1 percent of respondents oppose the appointment of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, while 25.1 percent support it. The survey was conducted on 1,001 adults nationwide on Monday and Tuesday.

KSOI said in its report that “as opposition surpasses a majority in the survey, the outcome of Kim’s nomination will carry significant weight for the administration’s overall support ratings,” adding that strong pushback from moderate voters “could impose a severe burden on governance in the future.”

The figures came as Kim was caught up in allegations of using his influence to lobby for the approval of a pharmaceutical company's COVID-19 clinical drug trial in October 2021, although prosecutors later suspended the indictment following an investigation.

Rep. Seo Young-kyo, chairperson of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, pounds the gavel during a meeting after main opposition People Power Party lawmakers left in protest of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's unilateral adoption of the parliamentary confirmation hearing report on Justice Minister candidate Kim Seung-won, Thursday. Yonhap

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has targeted Kim over his leadership of a newly formed DPK faction this year, arguing that his support for dropping suspended indictments against Lee signals he will unfairly favor legislative initiatives benefiting the president when he becomes the justice minister.

Despite the pressure, the DPK pressed ahead Thursday, unilaterally adopting the parliamentary confirmation hearing report for Kim — a key legislative requirement for his ministerial appointment — two days after his hearing, fulfilling the three-day statutory deadline. Once adopted, the nominee can be formally appointed upon presidential approval.

The PPP launched an all-out offensive in response, with some lawmakers vowing street protests until the nomination is withdrawn.

President Lee Jae Myung listens as International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol speaks at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

Pattern of failed nominations

Kim's confirmation battle is unfolding against the backdrop of an unusually high attrition rate among Lee's cabinet nominees. The most recent casualty was Rep. Yong Hye-in, who stepped down as gender equality minister nominee Sunday amid public criticism over her decision to retain her parliamentary seat alongside the cabinet post, prompting opposition parties to renew their attacks on Lee's vetting process.

Yong's exit brings to four the number of ministerial nominees who have failed to be appointed since Lee took office last year, following Education Minister nominee Lee Jin-sook and Gender Equality Minister nominee Kang Sun-woo in June 2025 and Planning and Budget Minister nominee Lee Hye-hoon in December 2025.

The rate compares unfavorably with past administrations over equivalent periods: Moon Jae-in had three failed nominations over a similar timeframe, while Yoon Suk Yeol, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak each had two — a record critics attribute to a shallow talent pool within the ruling camp.

All four failed nominees were women. Yong's case, however, stands apart. While Lee Jin-sook, Kang Sun-woo and Lee Hye-hoon were all removed after undergoing National Assembly confirmation hearings, Yong never made it to the hearing stage.

韩国总统李在明因提名金承元担任法务部长官而面临压力，其助手表示，尽管支持率面临风险，他仍可能坚持推进这项提名。这项提名与李在明的检控改革计划以及他与政治检察官之间的更广泛冲突紧密相关。执政的共同民主党于周四通过了金承元的确认听证会报告，而主要反对党国民力量党则威胁要举行街头抗议。韩国社会调查局（KSOI）的一项民调显示，52.1%的受访者反对这项提名，25.1%的受访者支持。

韩国社会舆论研究所的调查发现，52.1%的受访者反对金承元的任命，而25.1%的受访者支持这一任命。

该调查于周一和周二对全国 1001 名成年人进行了问卷调查。

国会委员会在金正恩的听证会两天后通过了确认听证会报告，符合三天的法定期限。

周日，李勇惠议员辞去了性别平等部长提名人选的职务，使得自李勇惠去年上任以来，已有四位部长提名人选未能获得任命。

文章指出，四名落选的提名人都是女性，并提到杨从未进入听证阶段。

发布于2026年9月17日下午4:28（韩国标准时间）

周一，韩国司法部长官提名人金承元在首尔国会举行的国会确认听证会上宣誓就职。（韩联社）

李在明总统在司法部长人选问题上面临着一个高风险的抉择：是继续推进金承元的任命，但这样会进一步降低他的支持率；还是撤回提名，从而失去其旗舰检察改革议程的势头。

政治圈内人士认为，李显龙无论如何都会继续推进改革。分析人士表示，他很可能会将这场僵局定性为检控改革的一场决定性战役——与他阵营所称的抵制变革的政治检察官们进行直接对抗。

据政治评论员、首尔中区前区长徐阳浩称，“执政的韩国民主党似乎准备推进这项任命，而反对党预计将在李明博总统周五的记者招待会后评估民意，然后再决定是否发起全面街头抗议。”

“从本质上讲，金承元的提名不仅仅是一项内阁任命；它代表着推动李明博总统标志性检察改革的力量与抵制改革的政治检察官之间的根本冲突。因此，政府和执政阵营别无选择，只能推进这一任命。”

另一位政治评论员金敏河也表达了类似的观点，他指出，无论如何，总统的支持率预计都会下降，因此民主党认为没有理由不继续推进这项任命。

“即使在民主党内部，似乎也有人意识到强行任命会导致支持率下降。然而，由于支持率无论如何都会受到影响，目前普遍的看法似乎是，与其辞职，不如保住部长职位，”金周四告诉哥伦比亚广播公司。

司法部长提名人反驳游说指控

议会通过最高法院大法官提名确认动议

周四，在首尔国会大厦，主要反对党国民力量党的议员们举着写有“金承元下台”和“姜信哲下台”的标语牌。（韩联社）

公众反对人数超过多数门槛

韩国社会舆论研究所（KSOI）的一项调查显示，52.1%的受访者反对任命金承元为法务部长官，而25.1%的受访者表示支持。该调查于周一和周二在全国范围内进行，共访问了1001名成年人。

朝鲜人民军情报局在其报告中表示，“由于反对派在民调中超过半数，金正恩的提名结果将对政府的整体支持率产生重大影响”，并补充说，温和派选民的强烈反对“可能会在未来给政府治理带来沉重负担”。

这些数据公布之际，金某正被指控利用其影响力游说批准一家制药公司于 2021 年 10 月进行的 COVID-19 临床药物试验，尽管检察官在调查后暂停了起诉。

周四，在主要反对党国民力量党议员因抗议执政党共同民主党单方面通过法务部长候选人金承元的国会确认听证报告而离席后，国会立法司法委员会主席徐英教在会议上敲响了议槌。韩联社

主要反对党国民力量党（PPP）今年一直抨击金正日领导新成立的民主党派系，认为他支持撤销对李明博的暂缓起诉，这表明他担任司法部长后将不公平地偏袒有利于总统的立法提案。

尽管面临压力，朝鲜民主党周四仍单方面通过了金正恩的国会确认听证报告——这是他被任命为部长的关键立法程序——距离听证会仅两天，符合三天的法定期限。一旦获得通过，提名人即可在总统批准后正式就职。

人民进步党对此发起全面反击，一些议员誓言要举行街头抗议，直到撤回提名为止。

周四，韩国总统李在明在首尔青瓦台聆听国际能源署执行主任法提赫·比罗尔的讲话。（联合记者团摄）

提名失败模式

金正日的内阁任命之争正值李健熙内阁提名人选流失率异常高之际。最新一位落选者是李容惠仁议员，她于周日辞去了性别平等部长的提名，此前她因决定在担任内阁职务的同时保留国会议员席位而受到公众批评，这促使反对党再次抨击李健熙的审查程序。

继李显龙被提名为教育部长李珍淑和性别平等部长姜善宇（均于2025年6月被提名）以及计划预算部长李惠勋（于2025年12月被提名）之后，李显龙的退出使得自李显龙去年上任以来，尚未获得任命的部长提名人选人数达到四人。

与以往历届政府在类似时期相比，这一比例并不理想：文在寅在类似的时间段内有三次提名失败，而尹锡烈、朴槿惠和李明博各有两次——批评人士认为，这是执政阵营人才匮乏造成的。

四位落选的候选人均为女性。然而，容宥的情况却有所不同。李珍淑、姜善宇和李惠勋在经过国会确认听证会后均被撤换，而容宥甚至连听证会都没能进入。