Integration undermined by Lee Hye-hoon, president should withdraw nomination

This is a moment for judgment, not procedural maneuvering. Acknowledging the failure of vetting that has undermined the goal of integration, the president should withdraw the nomination.

Budget Minister nominee Lee Hye-hoon leaves the hearing preparation office set up at the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in Jung District, central Seoul, on the afternoon of Jan. 20. [NEWS1]

The confirmation hearing for Budget Minister nominee Lee Hye-hoon again failed to open on Tuesday, a day before the deadline to adopt a review report. A standoff that began with the People Power Party's boycott on Jan. 19 has continued, creating the unusual spectacle of the ruling Democratic Party urging a hearing that usually serves as the opposition’s stage. President Lee Jae Myung’s recent remarks at a dinner with ruling party leaders, noting that the nominee was “brought in with difficulty” and therefore deserved a hearing, appear to have reinforced the push.

The confusion, however, stems mainly from Lee’s own failure to provide clear explanations or sufficient documents despite a cascade of allegations. The opposition has reason to question the effectiveness of a hearing under such circumstances. Publicly released recordings of abusive remarks toward subordinates, along with allegations involving misconduct, real estate speculation and preferential treatment, have raised serious doubts about Lee’s suitability for high office. Recent polls showing that up to 68 percent of respondents view her as unfit for the post underscore the problem. That is also why critics view calls from the presidential office and the ruling party for a hearing as a tactic to justify proceeding with the appointment.

More troubling is that Lee’s controversies have hollowed out the very rationale behind the president’s nomination. The decision to tap a figure from the opposing camp was meant to signal political integration, but that message has since vanished amid mounting allegations. Few citizens, if any, would associate integration with claims involving verbal abuse of interns, property speculation or irregular applications for a high-end apartment in Seoul’s Gangnam district.

The apartment case alone illustrates how far Lee falls short of public expectations. She is accused of inflating her application score by listing her married son, who lives separately, as a cohabiting family member. The apartment, priced at about 3.6 billion won, is widely known as a “lottery subscription,” a term reinforced by the Land Ministry's last year uncovering 41 cases of fraudulent applications at the complex. Authorities reportedly examined even transit card records of household members, raising questions about how the case went undetected. Yet Lee has declined to submit key documents, including application score calculations and records of family moves, citing privacy concerns.

For ordinary citizens who could not even dream of applying for such housing, or for unsuccessful applicants who lost out amid near 100-to-1 competition and potential windfall gains, the nomination hardly evokes unity. Even those caught and punished for fraudulent residency claims would likely turn away.

The decision now returns to the president. Once the reporting deadline passes, he may appoint Lee directly or request a resubmission, opening a 10-day window in which a hearing could still take place. But this is a moment for judgment, not procedural maneuvering. Acknowledging the failure of vetting that has undermined the goal of integration, the president should withdraw the nomination.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.