Kim Geun-sik: Lee Jae-myung's 'Seongnam Line' a Potential Time Bomb

Professor Kim Geun-sik: "Lee Sang-kyung Also Part of Seongnam Line...Lee Jae-myung's Inner Circle Will Be a Time Bomb for the Next 5 Years"

Kim Geun-sik, a professor at Kyungnam University, has identified Lee Sang-kyung, the First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as a close aide to Lee Jae-myung, claiming that this inner circle, often referred to as the 'Lee Jae-myung Family,' lacks the political savvy and competence to avoid becoming a hindrance to the current administration for the next five years. Kim made these assertions on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on October 27th, emphasizing that Lee Sang-kyung has been a key figure since Lee Jae-myung's time as Mayor of Seongnam. Kim's remarks come amid ongoing controversies surrounding government appointments, and are interpreted as a critical view of the appointment of close associates. In particular, Kim pointed to the lack of political acumen within Lee Jae-myung's inner circle, warning that they could negatively impact overall governance. His argument raises concerns about the future of the administration and underscores the need for oversight and scrutiny of this inner circle. It remains to be seen what impact Kim's comments will have on the political landscape.

Additional News Regarding Government Appointments

Several additional updates have emerged regarding recent government appointments. Cho Jae-hong has been appointed as the Personnel Planning Officer for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Planning and Coordination Office, while Yang Soo-yeon has been appointed as the Data Safety Policy Division Chief for the Personal Information Policy Bureau of the Personal Information Protection Commission. In addition, BBS Buddhist Broadcasting System has promoted Moon Jae-sik to Director of Radio Production and Head of Radio Programming, and transferred Park Jae-hyun to Head of the Dharma Support Department. In the media sector, Maeil Ilbo has appointed Jung Doo-hyun as Head of the Political and Economic Department, and Newsfreezone has appointed Kim Ki-hoon as Co-CEO. Issue & Biz has appointed Kang Hoon as Editor-in-Chief and Vice President. These government and media appointments are seen as efforts to strengthen expertise in each field and improve organizational efficiency. However, some have criticized these appointments as being biased towards certain networks, raising the need for discussions on the transparency and fairness of future appointments. In particular, appointments in the public sector are directly related to public trust, and therefore should be based on objective and reasonable criteria.

Political Condolence Money Controversy Resurfaces

Reporter Shin Yu-man expressed a critical view, stating that the controversy surrounding excessive condolence money received by politicians is nothing new. Looking back at past cases, it was revealed that businessmen contributed anywhere from 10 million to 100 million won in congratulatory money at the 1987 wedding of former President Chun Doo-hwan's second son, Chun Jae-yong, causing public outrage. Furthermore, during Kim Min-seok's Prime Minister confirmation hearing, an explanation was given that 600 million won in unreported cash came from condolences and book release events, but this did not avoid public criticism. Under current law, public officials are limited to receiving a maximum of 50,000 won in condolence money in cash from one person, but there are persistent reports that many politicians continue to receive amounts exceeding this limit. Former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in set an example by declaring that they would not accept congratulatory money at their sons' weddings, but this was not enough to bring about change in the political sphere as a whole. The issue of politicians' condolence money is an act that undermines fairness and transparency, and is a major cause of deepening public distrust in politics.

Growing Need to Discuss Revisions to the Political Funds Act

People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo proposed a revision to the Political Funds Act in June to strictly manage income from book release events as political funds and prohibit the sale of books at prices higher than the fixed price. This is considered an effort to eradicate illegal political fundraising by politicians and ensure the transparency of political funds. However, despite these efforts, illegal activities exploiting loopholes in the Political Funds Act still occur, and it is pointed out that there is an urgent need to find a fundamental solution. Revising the Political Funds Act goes beyond simply amending legal provisions; it can be an important opportunity to bring about change in the overall political culture. To achieve this, self-regulation efforts by politicians themselves are essential, along with active monitoring and participation from civil society. Furthermore, multifaceted efforts are needed, such as establishing various institutional mechanisms to increase the transparency of political funds and strengthening penalties for illegal political fundraising. Securing the transparency of political funds and creating a fair political environment through revisions to the Political Funds Act is an essential task for the development of democracy.