South Korea’s Justice Minister Nominee Withdraws After Reshuffle
South Korea’s nominee for justice minister has withdrawn from consideration for the role before being confirmed, the second ministerial nominee to pull out in a week after the president reshuffled his cabinet.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's nominee for justice minister, Kim Seung-won, withdrew from consideration on Saturday, marking the second cabinet pick to step aside this month as Lee's approval ratings continue to decline. This withdrawal follows the previous resignation of Yong Hye-in as the nominee for gender-equality minister on Sunday, a fallout from Lee's recent cabinet reshuffle in late August.
Kim Seung-won cited his desire not to place any additional burden on Lee's administration as the reason for his withdrawal. He had previously criticized a conservative lawmaker who accused him of lobbying regulators over a drug trial and financial irregularities, allegations he has vehemently denied.
A recent Gallup Korea poll released on Friday revealed that Lee's public approval rating had dropped to 37%, the lowest since he took office in June 2025. The pollsters attributed this decline partly to criticism over Lee's personnel appointments.
During a press conference on Friday, Lee acknowledged shortcomings in his administration's screening process of nominees. He stated, "We are currently working to reexamine our personnel system."
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- South Korea justice nominee withdraws in Lee's second cabinet setback as polls slide channelnewsasia.com
- S. Korea’s justice nominee withdraws in Lee’s second cabinet setback freemalaysiatoday.com
