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Jan. 25 (Asia Today) — President Lee Jae-myung on Sunday withdrew the nomination of Lee Hye-hoon to lead South Korea’s Finance Ministry, saying she did not meet public expectations after a confirmation hearing and subsequent public scrutiny.
Hong Ik-pyo, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, told reporters at the Blue House that Lee decided to pull the nomination “after careful consideration and deliberation.”
Hong said the president weighed views from across society, reviewed the confirmation hearing and considered public reaction, but concluded the nominee “did not meet the public’s expectations” for the post.
The decision was a setback for Lee’s effort to appoint figures from across the political spectrum as part of what the Blue House has described as a unifying personnel approach. Hong said Lee had nominated the former three-term lawmaker from a conservative party to demonstrate an intent to transcend partisan divisions.
Hong said the nominee fell short of what he called the public’s moral standards, but added that the president’s broader commitment to tapping talent from diverse backgrounds and camps would continue.
Asked whether the withdrawal meant the nomination had failed to advance the president’s “grand unification” value, Hong said it did not, and framed the move as the president fulfilling responsibility as the chief personnel decision maker.
Hong declined to specify what issues contributed to the decision, saying it would be inappropriate to cite individual allegations and that the conclusion was based on a comprehensive assessment rather than any single issue.
The Blue House said Lee reached the decision by mid-morning after reviewing the nominee’s explanations over the weekend and monitoring public opinion after the hearing. Officials notified the nominee shortly before a 2 p.m. briefing.
A Blue House official said the administration initially planned to wait until Monday to see whether the National Assembly would adopt the confirmation hearing report, but moved sooner because the outcome was uncertain and delaying risked prolonging the controversy.
The official said discussions on a successor had not begun as of Sunday afternoon and suggested the selection process could take time given the sensitivity of the post after the withdrawal.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260125010011665