Overview

• Several senior cabinet nominees, including Lee Jin-sook, Lim Gwang-hyeon and Jung Eun-kyeong, have refused to address integrity concerns, pledging to respond only at their confirmation hearings.
• Lee Jin-sook is accused of misappropriating a student’s research and submitting the same paper to multiple academic journals without clarification.
• Lim Gwang-hyeon faces scrutiny over a sharp revenue spike at his former tax firm shortly after retiring, raising questions about improper post-retirement advantage.
• Jung Eun-kyeong is under investigation for alleged violations of farmland ownership laws linked to her husband’s landholdings in Pyeongchang.
• Observers warn that superficial hearings risk eroding public trust and triggering swift political fallout, as seen in former minister Park Soon-ae’s rapid resignation.