HEARINGS IN THE ASSEMBLY FOR FM, MOU, DEFMIN GO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 003992

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL KS
SUBJECT: HEARINGS IN THE ASSEMBLY FOR FM, MOU, DEFMIN GO
SMOOTHLY

Classified By: POL M/C Joseph Y. Yun. Reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Foreign Minister-designate Song Min-soon,
Defense Minister-designate Kim Jang-soo and Unification
Minister-designate Lee Jae-jeong all passed through committee
hearings in the National Assembly with relative ease on
November 16 and 17. The Assembly has no power to stop
cabinet nominations and merely holds a committee hearing for
each nominee (usually one day) and then sends a report to the
Blue House with their assessment of the potential cabinet
members. Despite the severe outcry over all the nominees but
DefMin-designate Kim, the opposition GNP resigned itself to
the reality of the cabinet reshuffle, took their verbal shots
during the hearings and passed on the three nominees that
have come before hearings thus far. END SUMMARY.

Song Min-soon
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2. (C) The ruling Uri Party and the opposition Grand
National Party (GNP)'s Floor Leaders reached a final
agreement on November 16 to cooperate on the hearings for the
four cabinet nominees and even Song, who has been attacked
the most fiercely of the minister-designates since his
nomination, passed through his hearings with relative ease.


3. (C) The GNP lawmakers in the Foreign Affairs and
Unification Committee came to Song Min-soon's hearing 45
minutes late in protest and once they arrived, asked pointed
questions for the career diplomat. The main criticism of
Song was that he had strongly supported the failed engagement
policy toward the North. In addition, many of the GNP
committee members criticized Song for his anti-U.S.
statements while he served as Roh's National Security
Advisor. GNP lawmaker Nam Kyoung-pil said that Song seemed
to disregard international cooperation and resist U.S.
initiatives.

Lee Jae-jeong
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4. (C) Minister of Unification-designate Lee Jae-jeong has
received almost as much negative press since his nomination
as FM-designate Song and his hearings were testy, focusing on
Lee's support for continued engagement with the North. Park
Jin, a GNP lawmaker, said that Lee "did not meet any of the
criteria to be Minister." Lee pressed ahead in his support
for engagement policy and said he would push for aid to help
the people of North Korea. He said also that Kaesong
Industrial Complex (KIC) and Mt. Kumgang tourism project were
vital from a security perspective, since they eased tensions
on the Peninsula. He hoped the ROK could resume rice and
fertilizer aid to the North once the National Assembly agreed
it was appropriate to do so.

Kim Jang-soo
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5. (C) General Kim's nomination was welcomed by even Roh's
staunchest foes, noting that Kim has had a distinguished
military career, free from political activity. Questions he
faced during his hearings were focused on North Korea, OPCON
and Iraq. He said that the U.S.-ROK alliance was the
cornerstone of the military balance on the Peninsula and that
the U.S. nuclear umbrella was essential.

Comment
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6. (C) While the hearings could not be termed friendly, the
relative smoothness (no one blocked entry to the hearings or
otherwise forced a postponement - which is not unheard of)
with which they were conducted was a positive sign that
reflected the acknowledgement by the GNP that politically
they would not gain much from a battle over the nominations.
One explanation is that the GNP is starting to take its
opposition responsibilities seriously, trying to show the
public that it is taking the high road in dealing with the
Uri Party. While on November 15, the GNP blocked the dais
overnight to prevent the approval of Constitutional Court
Justice Chon Hyo-seok's nomination, the GNP and Uri Party
floor leaders peaceably reached agreement to revisit the Chun
nomination on November 30 after addressing the more important
national security nominations.
VERSHBOW