Allegations of ethical lapses of some of President-elect Park Geun-hye’s ministers-designate are expected to turn the confirmation hearings that were initially thought to be smooth into a long and difficult battle, dimming prospects of the Park administration from operating at full capacity upon the Feb. 25 inauguration.

“As allegations snowballed, expectations turned into worries,” Park Ki-choon, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic United Party, said in a party meeting Friday. “We will conduct close inspections with a microscope whether they meet the people’s expectations.”

Kim Byung-kwan, the nominee to head the Ministry of National Defense, is in the hot seat following allegations of tax evasion and connections with an arms broker mired in corruption.

Kim, a former Army general who served as the deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, is accused of not paying the required taxes when handing over real estate to his sons 27 years ago. After the news broke out, Kim paid the long overdue taxes on Thursday.

In addition, Kim’s past experience working as a consultant for a weapons dealer involved in importing submarine parts from Germany that was under investigation for bribery and illegal lobbying by authorities in Germany and South Korea has raised eyebrows.

Kim also made headlines for carrying a keychain engraved with the portraits of Park’s parents, late President Park Chung-hee and former first lady Yuk Young-soo.

Park’s nominee to head the Ministry of Justice, Hwang Kyo-ahn, is accused of dodging the mandatory military service. According to military records, Hwang delayed undergoing the mandatory physical examination three times during college, and later, was exempted from the military service due to a skin disease.

Hwang is also accused of engaging in speculative real estate investment when he purchased property in the Gangnam area in the late 1990s.

In addition, during his tenure as a senior prosecutor overseeing internal inspection, Hwang cleared charges for fellow prosecutors who allegedly received bribes, only indicting the journalists and a progressive lawmaker who exposed them. The nominee is also accused of receiving special favors when he submitted the required thesis for his master’s degree five years after the deadline.

The first nominee set to face hearings next week is the prime minister nominee Chung Hong-won. Nine witnesses have been selected to partake in the hearings, including Kim Tae-jeong, the former prosecutor general, Yang Yin-pyeong, who headed the law firm where Chung once worked and military doctors who granted exemption from service to Chung’s sons.

Park Geun-hye asked for DUP’s support in helping pass her government reorganization plan in the National Assembly on Friday.

“If the government reorganization does not pass soon, then the new government cannot undergo personnel appointments and restructuring,” said Park from her transition committee headquarters in Seoul. “I ask the opposition parties to provide a helping hand so that the new government can start at full capacity.”

By Samuel Songhoon Lee
(songhoon@heraldcorp.com)