[Editorial] Is Han Myeong-sook Qualified?

The National Assembly’s confirmation hearing on prime ministerial nominee Han Myeong-sook will be held today. We hope that both the ruling and opposition parties break away with prejudice and partiality in verifying whether she is qualified to be the prime minister of the Republic of Korea.

Will it contribute to enhancing national competitiveness and the people’s lives that she becomes a prime minister? The people need to know the answer, as the nation’s future direction after modernization and democratization still remains unclear.

The governing party accuses those who discuss her capabilities and qualifications of conducting “outdated misbehaviors running counter to gender equality.” When people indicate her past conducts and ideology, the party hits back by saying they are making “McCarthyist attacks.” This exactly is how student activists used to keep verification efforts in check and mislead the public.

Prime ministerial nominee Han’s husband was imprisoned for 13 years after being involved in the Unification and Revolution Party’s (URP) espionage scandal in 1968. The nominee herself was put in jail for two years in the Christian Academy scandal in 1979 where her listening to North Korean radio was called into question.

The people need a clear answer from her as to whether she still sticks to her past ideology and why she listened to North Korean radio.

Han has taken a stance similar to “pro-North Korean radicals” on North Korea’s nuclear program and human rights issues, and she has reflected the voice of organized labor circles when it comes to the issue of irregular workers. This should not be simply considered the “outcome of her 30-year career in opposition.” Her ideological bent should be fully discussed to figure out how they will be reflected in her management of state affairs in the future. Those labeling such verification efforts as a “Cold War mindset” may well cause a doubt about their own identity.

Other than ideological issues, there are more questions about her, such as whether she made requests to get her son an easy position in the military, and if she falsely subscribed to the national health insurance plan.

The fact that the prime ministerial nominee supported her husband while in prison might be a beautiful love story. Her impression is very gentle. Such emotional evaluations alone, however, won’t do in dealing with the speculation. A prime minister’s belief in national identity, conviction in major policies, and ability to manage state affairs are directly related to national fortunes; they do not belong to the domains of love and emotion. This is why the upcoming confirmation hearing should not become a mere formality.