SEOUL, KOREA – President-elect Park Geun-hye nominated Kim Yong-joon, who leads her transition team, as the first prime minister of the incoming government.
It is the first time that a chairperson of transition team was immediately nominated as a candidate for the prime minister. Kim served as the co-chairman of Park’s campaign team during the election period and formerly headed the Constitutional Court in 1994.
The spokesperson said that, “Kim is the right person for the job as he fully respects the spirit of the constitution and the rule of law. I believe that his name is synonymous with trust in the legal profession because he worked diligently to uphold the values of the constitution while having served as a judge, as well as chief justice.”
There have been ambivalent views regarding the nomination throughout politics. The Saenuri party saw him as, “The right person for law and order, and social integration”. The Democratic United Party doubted whether he demonstrated adequate qualifications to become a responsible prime minister, and called for thorough verification in this regard.” Mr. Kim's confirmation hearing is expected to be held on the 9th or 10th next month.
