'Suwon's First Active Minister' Cancelled After 20 Days...Democratic Party Adopts 'Qualified' Judgment, Kim Seung-won Withdraws Two Days Later

Kim Seung-won, the Justice Minister nominee who had drawn high expectations from the local community as the first cabinet member appointment of an active lawmaker from Suwon, withdrew his candidacy 20 days after his nomination.

Kim held a press conference at the National Assembly Press Center on the morning of the 19th and announced, "After deep deliberation, I have decided to step down from my position as nominee for Justice Minister."

He continued, "I solidified my resolve after watching the President's press conference yesterday" and said, "The lives of the people and the success of the government come first." He explained that he decided the government, which must address people's livelihoods and complete reforms, should not bear additional burden because of him.

The previous day, President Lee held a press conference stating, "I have not yet reached a final conclusion on whether to appoint Kim," and indicated he would make a careful decision considering various controversies, competence, and public expectations. By not immediately deciding on the appointment of a nominee whose confirmation report had been adopted, the nominee's future became effectively uncertain, and Kim withdrew on his own a day later.

Kim said, "I take it seriously that I fell short of the public's expectations and will deeply reflect on my shortcomings," and stated, "I stop here the step I was taking to fulfill my duty as Justice Minister."

Regarding controversies surrounding his spouse and family, he said, "I extend my deepest condolences to the people with disabilities and their families who may have been hurt by this matter, and to those who have dedicated themselves in care work," while also stating, "Even if I step down from office, I will not abandon the truth."

With Kim's withdrawal, responsibility disputes are now inevitable regarding the Democratic Party's vetting and political judgment that had deemed him 'qualified' just two days prior.

The National Assembly's Judiciary Committee adopted the personnel hearing report on Kim led by the Democratic Party on the 17th, despite resistance from ruling party lawmakers. However, a day after the report's adoption, the President withheld appointment, and just a day later, the nominee withdrew, resulting in the current situation. The Democratic Party stated regarding the withdrawal, "We respect this decision made with anguish" and "We will listen with a lower and more humble stance."

In the local community, there is an atmosphere where the shock and controversy that emerged during the personnel vetting process does not subside with just Kim's withdrawal.

Kim was born in Suwon in 1969, graduated from Pajang Elementary School, Suwon North Middle School, and Suwon Sung High School, served as a judge at Suwon District Court, and was elected to the National Assembly in 2020 from Jangan-gu, where he grew up. After his second term, he served as chairman of the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi Province branch and secretary of the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee, broadening his position in central politics based in Suwon.

Therefore, when he was nominated as Justice Minister nominee on the 30th of last month, expectations from the local community were high. It would have been the first case of an active lawmaker from a district born and educated in elementary, middle, and high school in Suwon becoming a cabinet member, and it would have been the first appointment of a Suwon active lawmaker in over 20 years since former National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo took office as Deputy Prime Minister for Education in 2005.

However, the atmosphere changed once personnel vetting began.

Issues ranging from the matter of relaying civil complaints in the process of approving Genencell clinical trials to the selection process for service providers for people with developmental disabilities in Suwon by the social cooperative that his spouse was involved with continuously emerged, with Kim and Suwon as connecting threads. Particularly, as some matters expanded to become subjects of vetting encompassing Suwon City administration and local welfare sites, the shock received by the local community was considerable.

The region had expectations that Kim's appointment would lead to national support for Suwon's long-cherished projects at a time when cooperation with the central government was urgent on issues such as the relocation of Suwon Military Airport, the promotion of an economic free zone, and the construction of a metropolitan transportation network. However, with his withdrawal from candidacy 20 days after nomination, such expectations ultimately failed to materialize.

Kim maintains his status as an active National Assembly lawmaker.

He stated on the day, "I will surely complete the unfinished prosecution reform" and "With a lower and more humble stance, I will work for the people and do my best for the success of the Lee Jae-myung government as a member of the people-sovereign government." After the press conference, without answering questions about prior coordination with the presidential office, he said, "What hurt most was becoming a burden to the President."