[Editorial] PM Han and Ministers Should Commit Themselves

The National Assembly approved the nomination of Han Seung-soo as prime minister yesterday. Immediately after the confirmation, President Lee Myung-bak appointed ministers and vice ministers who were recommended by the prime minister. Now, the Cabinet has been formed, but it is not perfect yet.

Lee has not yet found appropriate candidates for unification and environment ministers after the resignations of Unification, Environment, and Gender Equity minister-nominees due to various suspicions including real estate speculation.

The liberal United Democratic Party rejected the progressive report on the public hearings, saying, “Health Minister-nominee Kim Soung-yee has more serious problems such as real estate speculation, plagiarism and the abuse of domestic health insurance by his daughter who holds U.S. citizenship, than those who already stepped down.”

Even if the report is not adopted, President Lee can give him a letter of nomination after March 11, but it will be unseemly. Most ministers who went through the confirmation hearings are faulty as well.

Prime Minister Han will not have a fresh start, either. During his confirmation hearing, he was questioned for his alleged attempt to exaggerate his career as a professor of British universities and his real estate speculation suspicions. He was also blamed for being partially responsible for Korea’s financial crisis in late 1990s. Moreover, it is hard to understand that he said readily that he would return the Security Merit medal he had earned as a finance committee member of the National Defense Legislation Council in 1980, when it became controversial. Whatever the reason might be, how can he talk so easily about the return of the medal that is given by the nation?

His nomination was approved by a vote of 174 to 94. Even though the UDP had decided not to oppose him and let its lawmakers to decide, there was still a lot of opposition.

Prime Minister Han and other new ministers should commit themselves to the nation and its people to repent their fault and to restore public trust. Before his inauguration, Lee said, “The prime minister will work independently both at home and abroad, not as an assistant (to the president).” Han should respond to this request by “walking the talk.”

Under any circumstances, the new administration’s pragmatism should not be undermined. Prime Minister Han and ministers should form a small and thrifty government first. The concern is that some ministers with no experience in the public sector might be swayed by government officials who claim their job security. We hope that they could handle the pending issues such as unstable economic conditions and inflation with their belief and courage.