The ruling party, which had been sailing smoothly ahead of the June 3 local elections, is now reeling from a series of damaging revelations. From abuse of power allegations against Lee Hye-hoon, the nominee for the inaugural Minister of Planning and Budget under the Lee Jae-myung administration, to suspicions of nomination kickbacks involving Democratic Party lawmakers Kang Sun-woo and Kim Byung-ki, scandals originating from the ruling bloc have rained down like carpet bombing.
With an unending stream of exposés, relentless opposition attacks seizing every opportunity, and looming investigations by prosecutorial authorities, early-year headlines are being dominated by dark shadows surrounding government and ruling party figures.
'Conservative Economist' Lee Hye-hoon's Surprise Appointment — A Masterstroke Turns Into Backlash
Lee, who had largely disappeared from mainstream politics after losing her seat in the April 2024 general election, suddenly found herself at the center of the political arena. President Lee Jae-myung had selected her as the inaugural Minister of Planning and Budget. The surprise appointment of a figure regarded as occupying the far-right flank of the conservative camp drew attention from both ruling and opposition parties, as well as the general public.
According to the Seoul Economic Daily's analysis of social media mentions through "SomeTrend" from December 26 to January 2, Lee's name appeared 14,322 times across online communities, Instagram, X, and blogs — a staggering 79,467% increase compared to the same period last year. Her mentions numbered just three on December 27, but surged to 3,365 the following day after her nomination was announced, peaking at 4,257 on December 29.
The most frequently searched term associated with Lee was "Lee Jae-myung" (1,415 mentions), the appointing authority. Terms related to her political background — "People Power Party" (870), "conservative" (751), "PPP" (549), "Yoon Suk-yeol" (377), and "Saenuri Party" (342) — also ranked high. Keywords such as "economy" (891) and "competence" (356) reflected considerable interest in her expertise, supporting the Presidential Office's stated emphasis on pragmatic personnel decisions.
President Lee's decision to hand the budget reins to a "politician-economist" — a three-term lawmaker from conservative parties who previously served as a researcher at the Korea Development Institute (KDI) — was initially viewed as a shrewd move aimed at catching the conservative camp off guard ahead of the local elections. However, the situation changed dramatically when allegations surfaced that Lee had engaged in workplace abuse and verbal attacks against an intern staffer during her time as a lawmaker.
An analysis of sentiment in posts mentioning Lee revealed that negative assessments accounted for 71%, overwhelming the 21% positive rating. Since December 31, when the abuse allegations first emerged, positive assessments have remained in the 10% range. Top associated terms included "controversy" (1,895), "abuse of power" (1,045), "suspicions" (958), "verbal abuse" (904), and "betrayal" (422).
Public attention on Lee is expected to peak once formal confirmation hearings begin. With tipoffs still pouring in and the People Power Party branding her a "collaborator" with the Lee Jae-myung regime while preparing rigorous vetting, even calls for her withdrawal have emerged within the ruling party. Some observers suggest the Presidential Office is now considering revoking her nomination.
From 'Abuse of Power' Controversy to 'Nomination Kickback' Suspicions
The Democratic Party is likewise mired in its own swamp of allegations. Lawmaker Kang Sun-woo, who previously withdrew as nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family over staff abuse accusations, is now under scrutiny for allegedly receiving nomination kickbacks. The fallout spread to Kim Byung-ki, the party's second-ranking figure. A recording was released alleging that Kang's side received 100 million won from a Seoul city council candidate during the nomination process for the 2022 local elections, when Kang served on the Seoul chapter's nomination committee — and that Kim turned a blind eye to it.
Kim, already embattled over various allegations including his wife's personal misuse of official funds, stepped down as floor leader. The party leadership has requested disciplinary proceedings against Kim through the ethics tribunal and has decided to expel Kang, who had already left the party.
Online sentiment toward both lawmakers has heated up sharply. Kim's mentions over the week totaled 12,445 — a 6,776% surge from the same period last year — while Kang's reached 5,263, up 2,337%. Associated terms were overwhelmingly negative, with negative sentiment accounting for 86% for Kim and 85% for Kang. Common search terms included bribery, crime, abuse of power, and suspicions. As police have launched investigations into various allegations against both lawmakers, the repercussions could grow depending on how the probes unfold.
Opposition Eyes Power Shift — Launches All-Out Offensive Against Ruling Party
With low approval ratings casting a red flag over their local election prospects, opposition parties are seeking to use the ruling party figures' risks as an opportunity to shift the political landscape.
Park Sung-hoon, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a statement Friday regarding the abuse allegations against Lee: "The nominee's words and actions in the released recording go beyond simple reprimands — they represent the pinnacle of verbal violence that tramples on human dignity." He urged, "She should stop preparing for the hearing immediately, apologize to the public, and leave politics."
PPP lawmaker Joo Jin-woo raised additional allegations of real estate speculation against Lee. Lee Dong-hoon, chief spokesperson for the Reform Party, also weighed in: "A person with such character and mindset is not qualified to be a leader of today's Republic of Korea. The nominee should be made to withdraw."
Regarding the Democratic Party's nomination kickback suspicions, Park emphasized, "A special counsel is inevitable to uncover the substantive truth." Former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon wrote on Facebook: "Police reportedly sat on the 'Kim Byung-ki nomination bribery case' for two months after receiving it in November last year. This was a case that warranted immediate search and seizure, given the decisive evidence of a petition from the very person who gave the bribe."
Even Cho Kuk, leader of the progressive Rebuilding Korea Party, criticized: "Money-for-nomination schemes in local elections must be eradicated. This defiles the purpose of local autonomy, the foundation of democracy. The late President Kim Dae-jung, who achieved local autonomy through a 13-day hunger strike, would be weeping."
