President-elect Park Geun-hye’s floundering Cabinet formation is picking up pace following North Korea’s nuclear test that has boosted calls for unity and preparations to cope with the new security crisis.

Park named six minister-nominees on Wednesday including former chief presidential secretary on foreign affairs Yun Byung-se as the foreign minister and former deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command Kim Byung-kwan as defense minister.

Less than two weeks before her inauguration, Park’s government was heading for a shaky start with a record-low approval rating, delayed Cabinet lineup, and debate over her previous personnel choices as well as the government reorganization plan.

But with heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea’s third nuclear test on Tuesday, the main opposition Democratic United Party expressed willingness to cooperate and urged Park to demonstrate her leadership to breakthrough the security quandary.

“I ask Park to show wisdom to turn North Korea’s nuclear provocation into an opportunity,” said DUP interim leader Moon Hee-sang at a party meeting.

DUP floor leader Park Ki-choon promised to expedite the confirmation process.

“It is hoped that Park can swiftly complete the appointments for foreign affairs, defense and unification considering the pressing security situation. We will also seek ways to swiftly proceed with the confirmation hearings for the security-related appointees.”

Park’s presidential preparations had been dogged by the initial personnel flop of her first prime minister nomination, along with criticism of her alleged uncommunicativeness demonstrated by her tight grip over information. Her government reorganization plan is also stalled at the National Assembly as rivaling parties lock horns over some of the changes.

Political pundits said the situation would pick up domestically for Park, but at the same time remain the most critical juncture at the very beginning of her leadership.

“Domestic resistance or opposition to (Park’s decisions) will substantially subside following North Korea’s nuclear test, but the start of her five-year administration will hinge on how Park manages to show her leadership in breaking through the situation where there appears to be not many unvisited alternatives,” said politics professor Yun Seong-yi of Kyung Hee University.

A survey by Gallup Korea of 1,218 respondents Feb. 2-7 showed that only 48 percent said they approved of how Park was doing her job as president-elect, the lowest rating for a president prior to the launch of their term.

It was a drop from 56 percent in the fourth week of January and 52 percent in the fifth week of the same month.

It was also lower than the 51.6 percent of the vote Park collected in the presidential election, and significantly lower than the around 60-70 percent approval rating a president-elect usually enjoys. The largest number of those who disapproved of Park’s performance, or 50 percent, cited problems with her personnel decisions as the reason, while 12 percent said it was due to her lack of communication with the people.

“Before the actual launch, the incoming government delivers its (message) through personnel appointments, and people learn of the (new administration’s vision) through the designations,” said political philosophy professor Yoon Pyung-joong of Hanshin University.

“While Park had trumpeted public livelihood and social integration as her key goal, the operation of the transition committee failed to reflect (such direction).”

Park’s first selection of her transition committee chairman Kim Yong-joon as her prime minister induced controversy over what critics called a secretive decision-making style. Kim withdrew from his nomination upon allegations of several ethical lapses. Park remaining unresponsive to calls for the resignation of Constitutional Court chief nominee Lee Dong-heub over his alleged ethical misdeeds was also seen to shed a negative light on her leadership.

But observers pointed out that it was only the beginning for Park’s new government.

For one, 71 percent of the respondents in the survey said they were positive that Park would do a good job in the next five years.

“People may be disappointed but they have not given up hope. While Park’s personnel decisions so far seem to have leaned toward stability, it is important to remember that the people have chosen Park for her idea of stable change. Park’s next decisions should therefore reflect the future-forward message of change,” Yoon Pyung-joong said.

Yun Seong-yi agreed.

“The low support ratings derived from what we already know (about her). What matters is how she does her job after the administration is actually launched.”

Park’s aides expressed cautious optimism as well.

“Although her approval ratings are low, they will continue to pick up once the administration is launched. We have expected things to take more time as the presidential election was conducted amid deep confrontation between the progressives and conservatives last year,” an official close to Park’s team said on condition of anonymity.

The most imminent hurdle domestically is the scheduled parliamentary decision on Park’s new government plan this Thursday. The rivaling parties continued to wrangle over the changes including the expanded role of the newly established ministry of future, creation and science.

If the new government bill fails to pass the plenary session this week, it will be put up for vote again on the 18th. A delayed approval would lead to the launch of the new government with an incomplete Cabinet.

Park’s remaining nominees for the Cabinet must also undergo confirmation hearings. The Park administration is set to formally launch on Feb. 25.

On the security front, Park must oversee a smooth handover of government from the outgoing Lee Myung-bak administration, while maintaining tight vigilance against North Korea’s provocations with close cooperation with the allies and reexamining her “trust-building process” approach to Pyongyang.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)