-'Key personnel powerhouse' Kim Hyun-ji likely influenced this cabinet reshuffle as well
-The public is demanding the truth... She must be summoned to the parliamentary audit
-Kim Seung-won's explanation? Continuous lies
...
Doubts have not been cleared at all
-Not a simple petition, but played a major role in fraudulent stock manipulation
-People Power Party also receiving many tips
...
Witness plan for hearing is set
-Grateful for Han Dong-hoon's help
...
Hearing committee assignment difficult under National Assembly Act
-Requesting Han as witness is Democratic Party's call
...
Will follow procedures if requested
-Yong Hye-in swamped with 'political asset building' allegations
...
Much the same as Kim Seung-won
-Unfit not only as minister but also as lawmaker
...
Both must resign
-Unconscionable to enjoy benefits when the public never voted for them
-Economy in ruins yet internal promotion at Ministry of Finance? Reshuffle must be withdrawn
-Troop deployment to Hormuz? Necessary role must be played for safety, but
-Sudden move amid cracks in South Korea-U.S. alliance... Amateur administration
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00)
■ Date: September 8, 2026 (Tue)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Rep. Choi Eun-seok of the People Power Party (Senior Floor Spokesperson)
▷Kim Tae-hyun: From now on, let us review the People Power Party's preparations for the confirmation hearings. We are joined by Senior Floor Spokesperson Choi Eun-seok. Hello, Representative.
▶Choi Eun-seok: Hello.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Representative, the People Power Party stated that it would definitely summon Kim Hyun-ji, the First Private Secretary to the President at the Blue House, as a witness for the upcoming parliamentary audit. You don't really expect her to show up, do you?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Rather than not expecting it, I believe it is time for her to answer the call of the people by any means. Looking at recent developments, it is becoming increasingly evident that Kim Hyun-ji has been behind the monopolization of presidential appointments and the personnel decisions that the public finds utterly incomprehensible. Recently, former Democratic Party spokesperson Seo Yong-ju essentially confessed to this without even realizing it, didn't he?
▷Kim Tae-hyun: He claimed he was joking.
▶Choi Eun-seok: That is not a situation to joke about. In fact, if you look at the earlier case of former Public Communication Secretary Kim Nam-kook, people inside already knew she was the real power behind appointments, referring to her as 'Hyun-ji noona.' I believe that such rushed cabinet reshuffles and appointments that disregard the public have been heavily influenced by Secretary Kim Hyun-ji's personnel meddling and backroom appointments.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Aside from what former deputy spokesperson Seo Yong-ju said, does the People Power Party possess any specific evidence or whistleblowing tips that indicate Secretary Kim Hyun-ji is actually orchestrating personnel appointments?
▶Choi Eun-seok: In fact, we have received many such reports. However, most individuals are reluctant to disclose their real names, and many accounts originated from inside the Blue House. Therefore, we plan to assemble the pieces of the puzzle going forward to secure evidence of Secretary Kim Hyun-ji's arbitrary behavior, and we will continue building our case until the parliamentary audit.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: It seems unlikely that the ruling party will agree to summon her. What other options do you have?
▶Choi Eun-seok: In the end, the ruling party must decide whether it will disregard the public and go its own way, or make a decision regarding Secretary Kim Hyun-ji to rebound its plummeting approval ratings. While that is their choice, it is clear that the public is now demanding to know the concrete reality surrounding Secretary Kim Hyun-ji.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: The parliamentary audit will take place in due time, but the biggest issue before that—leading up to the Chuseok holiday—is the confirmation hearing period. Let us examine the nominees one by one. First, Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won made several statements to reporters yesterday while arriving at his hearing preparation office. He addressed his relationship with broker Mr. Yang, claimed there was no illicit solicitation regarding his actions, and stated that he called the Minister of Food and Drug Safety just once to request that a delayed procedure be handled expeditiously. Regarding Mr. Yang, he said he first met him as a customer at a restaurant or café frequented by legal professionals, describing him as a successful female entrepreneur and a close junior colleague. Hearing this, did it resolve your questions, or did you find more points of attack?
▶Choi Eun-seok: It did not resolve anything at all. In fact, what he just said about the place where he met Mr. Yang and his characterization of Mr. Yang are also lies. According to court rulings from that time, Mr. Yang was running an adult entertainment establishment called a rotation bar. How can anyone equate that with a café? So starting right there, it is simply not true.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Right.
▶Choi Eun-seok: He also said he called the head of the agency just once, but looking at the bigger picture, the nominee himself clearly stated that if clinical approval was granted, it would involve hundreds of billions of won, and he knew that broker Mr. Yang would earn substantial brokerage profits from it. In the midst of that, he also introduced broker Mr. Yang to a close friend who is a judge and played a key role. Furthermore, according to Mr. Yang's testimony, other Democratic Party lawmakers continue to appear. Looking at the broader framework, this could ultimately amount to a massive fraud and stock manipulation scheme tied to the stock manipulation of a company called Genencell and Sejong Medical, which had invested in it.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Choi Eun-seok: Therefore, this is definitely not something that can be dismissed as just a single phone call for a favor. I believe that as these suspicions are revealed one by one, the full truth will ultimately come to light. There is suspicion that nominee Kim Seung-won did not merely make a phone call to solicit a favor, but played an important role in the center of such a massive fraudulent stock manipulation scheme.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: In essence, the People Power Party intends to trace this from an illicit solicitation all the way to stock price manipulation.
▶Choi Eun-seok: That is correct.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Representative, honestly speaking, are whistleblowing tips regarding this matter coming into the People Power Party right now?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Various pieces of information are coming in right now.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Really?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Yes.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Aren't they all going to independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Rep. Han Dong-hoon is also playing a significant role in the broader opposition based on what he has received from various whistleblowers. However, while Rep. Han Dong-hoon is receiving tips, our party's lawmakers are also receiving a great deal of information. Our committee members will synthesize all of this thoroughly and properly uncover the true nature of nominee Kim Seung-won and the massive fraudulent scheme in which he is suspected of being involved.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Witnesses and reference persons are crucial. Do you currently have a plan for whom to summon, although an agreement with the Democratic Party is necessary?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Yes.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: It seems you will likely request broker Mr. Yang.
▶Choi Eun-seok: Yes. Naturally, we must request broker Mr. Yang.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: CEO Kang.
▶Choi Eun-seok: Correct, the CEO of Genencell.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Judge Jeong.
▶Choi Eun-seok: We also need to request Judge Jeong. In addition, Munhwa Ilbo covered this, and there is an internal public interest whistleblower. We must request that whistleblower as well.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Are you referring to the victim of the stock price plunge?
▶Choi Eun-seok: No. It is an individual who actually worked on the inside and blew the whistle because they could not tolerate what was happening. This person also felt a grave sense of crisis that the drug undergoing clinical approval should not be administered to humans. As an insider, this person knows precisely what transpired between Mr. Yang and Genencell CEO Kang at the time and what lobbying attempts were made.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Are you talking about Mr. Cho, who was reported by Munhwa Ilbo as a business associate of broker Mr. Yang?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Exactly. Furthermore, regarding the unauthorized school run by nominee Kim Seung-won's spouse and family, we will summon the school's administrative staff and others as witnesses to clearly investigate allegations that it served as a family wealth-building scheme.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Representative, at any rate, the broader opposition shares the common objective of derailing nominee Kim Seung-won.
▶Choi Eun-seok: That is correct.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: However, no one can deny that independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has the strongest offensive firepower right now.
▶Choi Eun-seok: I believe Rep. Han Dong-hoon is doing his part diligently.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: He seems to be receiving the most tips as well.
▶Choi Eun-seok: Yes.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yesterday, Rep. Han Dong-hoon asked to be placed on the confirmation hearing committee. Is the People Power Party completely unwilling to cooperate on committee reassignments by asking one member to step aside and temporarily placing Rep. Han Dong-hoon there?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Reassignments for non-negotiating blocs are determined by the Speaker of the National Assembly, and under the National Assembly Act, a reassignment between a negotiating body and a non-negotiating group is practically difficult. Therefore, under the National Assembly Act, such a method does not appear feasible for this hearing. In any case, because Rep. Han Dong-hoon is actively sharing the diverse public interest tips he received prior to the hearing, all committee members are referencing them to find more specific circumstances and evidence, which I consider a form of coordination within the broader opposition.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: While Speaker Cho Jung-sik will make the final decision, there is a world of difference between Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik of the negotiating body standing back indifferently versus actively requesting a forward-looking review.
▶Choi Eun-seok: But as I mentioned earlier, under the National Assembly Act, a floor leader of a negotiating body has no authority to dictate matters concerning non-negotiating groups, and I understand that executing such a swap itself would violate the National Assembly Act. Therefore, that does not seem to be a viable option.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yesterday, nominee Kim Seung-won challenged Rep. Han Dong-hoon to attend as a witness. While I do not know if the Democratic Party will request him as a witness...
▶Choi Eun-seok: I suspect nominee Kim Seung-won is speaking so forcefully because he already assumes Speaker Cho Jung-sik will not approve the committee reassignment.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Who is?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Nominee Kim Seung-won.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: If nominee Kim Seung-won requested him to appear as a witness and the Democratic Party officially applies to call independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon as a witness, will the People Power Party agree?
▶Choi Eun-seok: I am not sure whether there has ever been a precedent where a sitting lawmaker appeared as a witness.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: I don't recall seeing one either.
▶Choi Eun-seok: At the very least, that is up to the Democratic Party. If they truly want to summon Rep. Han Dong-hoon as a witness to uncover the truth, they will formally request it. If so, we can proceed according to the procedures outlined in the National Assembly Act.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. So the People Power Party deems nominee Kim Seung-won unfit.
▶Choi Eun-seok: Yes.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: What about nominee Yong Hye-in?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Nominee Yong Hye-in is largely in the same boat as nominee Kim Seung-won. Looking at the various allegations coming to light, there is an abundance of suspicions that she engaged in political asset building using state subsidies and other funds. Therefore, we judge that she is highly unqualified even as a lawmaker.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Wait a moment. Does that mean, beyond dropping her ministerial nomination, Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik also recently suggested that she should resign from her seat in the National Assembly altogether?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Yes. The reason is that Rep. Yong Hye-in became a proportional representative through the Democratic Party-affiliated coalition, the Democratic Union, if I recall the name correctly.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: The Democratic Union for Peace and Prosperity.
▶Choi Eun-seok: The public never cast their votes for the Basic Income Party. Therefore, there was no justification for receiving state subsidies. After being elected as a proportional lawmaker through the alliance via expedient means, she went through an expulsion process to establish a one-person party, did she not? Receiving state subsidies there and having her family, including her husband, enjoy economic benefits through those subsidies is a fundamental matter of conscience for a lawmaker who took an oath to serve the public interest. She did not receive support directly from the voters, yet she has been taking state subsidies intended for the party that the public actually supported. That is utterly unacceptable.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: You have judged these two individuals unfit and demanded their resignations. Are there any others?
▶Choi Eun-seok: In fact, the nominees for Minister of Finance and Economy and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are both internal promotions of vice ministers.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Internal promotions.
▶Choi Eun-seok: Look at the misgovernance over the 1 year and 3 months of the Lee Jae-myung administration. With the economy in total ruins across real estate, stock markets, and consumer prices, middle-class and young citizens are groaning under monthly rent hardship and soaring prices. The people who provided working-level support for those policies are precisely these vice ministers. Promoting these vice ministers directly to ministers is tantamount to a declaration of war against the people, signaling that the administration will turn a blind eye to public livelihood and simply press ahead on its own path. That is why we believe the nominations for Minister of Finance and Economy and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport must also be rescinded.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: You are calling for a complete withdrawal of the cabinet reshuffle. However, realistically, the likelihood of a total withdrawal being accepted is low. Are you considering options such as boycotting the confirmation hearings in preparation for it being rejected?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Rather than considering a boycott of the confirmation hearings, we intend to approach the hearings with the goal of unseating all of them by clearly exposing before the public why these individuals are unfit to serve as members of the State Council, and why they are unsuitable in terms of qualifications, competence, and past careers.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. Let me ask about another pending issue. There are discussions regarding troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. It seems many dissenting voices are emerging within the Democratic Party. The Rebuilding Korea Party appears outright opposed. What is the People Power Party's stance?
▶Choi Eun-seok: It is still somewhat early to declare a definitive stance one way or the other.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Isn't your party usually favorable toward troop deployments?
▶Choi Eun-seok: In principle, we have always maintained that deployments serving the national interest should be reviewed favorably. However, regarding this Hormuz issue, President Lee Jae-myung has severely deteriorated South Korea-U.S. relations since last March, and joint military drills were recently suspended as well. On top of that, with Donald Trump saying things like 'I will remember this' and noting that President Lee Jae-myung said 'no thanks' to his requests, the South Korea-U.S. alliance is currently experiencing severe cracks. In such a climate, suddenly reviewing troop deployment reveals an amateur administration stumbling and wavering in confusion, leaving everyone wondering what the Lee Jae-myung government is actually thinking. The administration must first come to the National Assembly to explain the precise differences in stance between South Korea and the United States, what our government is thinking, and what alternatives exist, so that we can offer our input.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Choi Eun-seok: Right now, they are merely leaking bits to the press, almost like testing public sentiment. It is very difficult for us to assess policies handled in this manner by amateur administrations. Therefore, if the Lee Jae-myung government even now explains the exact state of South Korea-U.S. relations, what strategic assets the United States is requesting in the Strait of Hormuz, what preparations the government has made, and what it hopes to do, and formally consults the opposition, we will naturally engage in active consultations and work to build a consensus on what serves the best interest of our nation.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: What is your personal stance, Representative?
▶Choi Eun-seok: Personally, I believe South Korea's national interests are currently facing significant threats in the Strait of Hormuz. While I am very cautious about entering into any direct combat situation involving Iran, I believe we must play the necessary role to protect our nation's assets and the safety of our people.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Representative, when deciding on hearing strategies or deployment matters, who is the top decision-maker: Party Leader Jang Dong-hyeok or Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik?
▶Choi Eun-seok: On important matters, decisions are consistently made through continuous dialogue between the two leaders.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. We will conclude today's interview here. We have been speaking with Representative Choi Eun-seok, Senior Floor Spokesperson for the People Power Party. Thank you.
▶Choi Eun-seok: Thank you.
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