Opposition parties on Monday agreed to seek the removal of the new agriculture minister, lashing out against President Park Geun-hye for pushing ahead with the appointment despite actions by the legislature to block it.

Agriculture Minister Kim Jae-soo came under fire for engaging in dubiously lucrative land-purchasing deals and for writing down his mother’s assets o profit from the government’s social security subsidies.

The move came a day after President Park Geun-hye, currently in Hangzhou, China, for a summit of the Group of 20 leading economies, used the electronic system to appoint Minister Kim and Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun despite a parliamentary report declaring the two nominees unqualified for their jobs.

“We see the president’s decision as an act of belittling the National Assembly,” said Rep. Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of The Minjoo Party of Korea after the trilateral meeting with his counterparts from the runner-up opposition People’s Party and the progressive minority Justice Party.

But the three parties decided not to pursue the dismissal of Culture Minister Cho. The former presidential aide has been facing public criticism over her lack of expertise in the cultural sector, as well as alleged ethical lapses throughout her public official career.

“The decision was part of our choice and concentration (strategy),” said Rep. Ki Dong-min, the Minjoo’s floor spokesperson. “It is not that we overlooked (Cho’s flaws).”
 

The opposition camp, currently accounting for the parliamentary majority with 165 out of 300 seats, is capable of motioning -- and approving -- the removal of Cabinet members, as long as half of the floor attends and votes for the agenda.

The resolution, however, would not legally bind the president, who holds the full authority on the appointment and dismissal of Cabinet members.

According to Article 61 of the Constitutional Law, the Assembly can only “recommend” the dismissal of administration officials to the president. The heads of ministries can only be dismissed when the Constitution Court endorses impeachment against the ministers proposed by half of attending lawmakers.

“Passing motion is no more than political pressure,” an official at the National Assembly told the Korea Herald, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. “Lawmakers can only dismiss cabinet members through impeachment process.”

Agriculture Minister Kim, meanwhile, pledged to push back against the opposition parties’ plan to dismiss him, accusing them of launching an “all-out smear campaign” during his hearing process and vowing to press defamation charges against media outlets who painted him as unfit for the job.

“False accusations and political attacks against me were rampant during the parliamentary hearing,” said Kim in a text massage sent to his friends. “Once I take office, I will pursues legal steps against those who defamed me.”

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)