July 18, Yoon Ho-joong's Ministry of Interior Confirmation Hearing - Candidate Analysis

Introduction of Candidate Yoon Ho-jung

Yoon Ho-jung, the nominee for Minister of the Interior and Safety, is a five-term member of the National Assembly affiliated with the Democratic Party. He is a seasoned politician equipped with both political experience and policy formulation skills. Born in 1963 in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, he graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in philosophy and entered politics after engaging in civic movements. Since first being elected in the 17th National Assembly, he has served in consecutive National Assemblies from the 19th to the 22nd, holding positions such as chair of the party's policy committee, floor leader, and chair of the emergency response committee. Through his activities in core standing committees such as the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Planning and Finance Committee, and the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, he has been involved in a wide range of policies in areas such as budget, judiciary, and taxation. Particularly, his deep understanding of and balanced approach to administrative and local governance have earned him recognition as a central figure in policy formulation within the party. With his recent nomination as Minister of the Interior and Safety, he has been presented with an opportunity to implement his policy philosophy at the executive level.

Philosophy and Vision of National Administration

The philosophy of national administration emphasized by candidate Yoon Ho-jung can be summarized by the phrase "the happiness of the people is the measure of democracy." He clearly states that the purpose of administration is not to maintain power but to substantially improve the lives of the citizens. Therefore, he believes that the administrative system should be based on practicality, supported by a human-centered value orientation. He argues that the administrative framework should transition from a mere bureaucratic command system to an organic system that actively responds to the changing society. In particular, he emphasizes the proactive adoption of data-driven administration and artificial intelligence according to changing times, asserting that this should lead to expanded citizen participation and increased transparency in policy implementation. This connects with his overall policy direction of "implementing democracy through systems."

Police System Reform Will and Plan

The candidate Yoon is strongly expressing his political will for police system reform. He believes that the establishment of the Police Bureau, created under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, was pushed through without sufficient social discussion, which has seriously undermined the political neutrality of the police. Accordingly, he has clearly pledged to abolish the Police Bureau and has expressed his intention to redesign the police control system in a democratic manner. He argues for the operation of the Police Commission as a substantive control body, ensuring independence from power while also having public accountability. This can be seen not merely as a reduction of the powers of the Minister of the Interior and Safety, but as a plan to structurally redesign a balanced power structure. He also raises the necessity for the nationwide expansion and enhancement of the autonomous police system to provide closer police services to local communities, and for a more precise distribution of police functions between central and local authorities. These reforms aim not just at simple administrative restructuring, but at establishing a systemic foundation for the legitimacy of police power and restoring public trust.

Disaster safety and life protection-centered policies

Candidate Yoon Ho-jung is deeply addressing the failures in response to national disasters such as the Sewol ferry disaster and the Itaewon tragedy. He believes that these incidents stem from structural and institutional limitations and shows his determination to comprehensively reform disaster safety administration. He proposes establishing the 'Basic Law on Life Safety' to set the protection of citizens' lives and safety as the top priority in national administration. This law is expected to go beyond simply improving the disaster response system and will clearly define the national responsibilities and roles throughout the entire process, from prevention to rescue and recovery. Additionally, he has set major policy tasks such as enhancing disaster prediction systems, strengthening integrated situation management systems, and building public safety education systems, indicating a policy shift aimed at systematically blocking the structure of repeated human-caused disasters in the past.

Decentralization and Balanced Development Strategy

Another pillar emphasized by candidate Yoon is decentralization and balanced national development. He recognizes the crisis of local extinction as a national task and proposes the transfer of local authority and the expansion of fiscal autonomy as fundamental strategies to address this issue. Specifically, he has suggested to the National Planning Committee to increase the share of local government grants from the current 19.24% to 22%. This is a measure to ensure the autonomy of local governments to design and implement regional projects with their own finances, intending to reduce dependence on the central government. Additionally, he aims to secure the sustainability of local communities through the establishment of a National Autonomy and Decentralization Council, the expansion of the Local Extinction Response Fund, and the realization of the hometown love donation system. This policy direction can be seen as an attempt to design a region-centered national model that goes beyond simple financial transfer.

Digital Government and Administrative Innovation Plan

Candidate Yoon Ho-jung recognizes that digital transformation is not just a simple technological innovation but a key driving force that changes the structure of administration as a whole. He proposes to actively utilize artificial intelligence and big data technologies to simultaneously achieve administrative efficiency and transparency as well as strengthen citizen-centered services. The AI government he suggests aims to automate repetitive and standardized civil complaint processing tasks and reconstruct administrative processes to incorporate real-time analysis of complaint types and frequencies into policy design. Through this, he aims to enhance the speed and quality of administrative services while laying the groundwork for rebuilding trust between the citizens and the government. Additionally, expanding the public disclosure of policy data based on digital platforms, building an integrated management system for administrative information, and ensuring transparent recording and disclosure of administrative histories are also key tasks included in his plans. He particularly emphasizes the importance of creating a digital policy environment based on public-private collaboration and mentions the need to actively incorporate private sector know-how accumulated in the field of information technology into government administrative innovation. Candidate Yoon stresses that such digital innovation should go beyond reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies and lead to the realization of "open administration," where citizens directly participate in and evaluate policies. He insists that digital transformation should not be technology-centered but citizen-centered, and clarifies that this requires the simultaneous promotion of measures for social acceptance, personal information protection, and bridging the digital divide. His vision for a digital government does not merely aim at system improvement but seeks to innovate the very culture of administration itself. Candidate Yoon assesses that this can elevate the administrative capabilities of the South Korean government to a level comparable to that of advanced countries and emphasizes that, in this process, the quality of administrative services closely related to citizens' everyday lives can significantly improve.

Preparation and Verification Issues for Confirmation Hearings

Youhocheung, the candidate, has officially started working at the preparation office for the confirmation hearing near Gwanghwamun in Jongno-gu, Seoul, since being nominated as the Minister of the Interior and Safety at the end of June. From the first day of work, he began engaging with the media, explaining major policy directions such as the abolition of the National Police Agency, and is focusing on organizing various policy materials and verification documents before the hearing. The National Assembly adopted the plan for the confirmation hearing in a full meeting of the Administrative Safety Committee on July 10, and requested the submission of related documents. The hearing schedule was confirmed for July 18, and discussions on selecting witnesses and reference persons are ongoing between the ruling and opposition parties. The candidate submitted a request for a confirmation hearing along with details of his assets, military service records, and criminal history to the National Assembly. His total assets were reported to be about 2.22 billion won, including an apartment and commercial property jointly owned with his spouse, as well as savings and bonds. He has been exempted from military service, and there are no particular controversies regarding avoidance of service. However, in terms of moral verification, a history of drunk driving in 1995 is becoming a point of contention. This incident resulted in a fine of 700,000 won, and the candidate has expressed deep remorse, stating that he will fully clarify the issue during the hearing process. Additionally, past reports have confirmed that he improperly parked in a disabled parking space, which has also reignited controversy he has explained the circumstances and offered an apology for this matter. In terms of policy verification, police system reform is emerging as the key issue, with questions expected to focus on whether the abolition of the National Police Agency and the empowerment of the Police Commission can realistically be implemented. Other major verification targets will include the increase in local government grants, the establishment of the Basic Law on Life Safety, and the promotion of a digital government. Through the confirmation hearing, the candidate's policy execution capability, will to implement, morality, and administrative philosophy are expected to be comprehensively evaluated.

Political symbolism and future challenges

The nomination of candidate Yoon Ho-jung carries symbolic significance that goes beyond a simple ministerial appointment, reflecting the direction of administrative reform in the current government. He has been recognized as a politician with strategic policy and coordination skills, having previously served as the floor leader of the Democratic Party and the chair of the emergency response committee. With this nomination, taking charge of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, a core department, he stands in a position to practically implement the policy planning capabilities he has accumulated in the political arena. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety addresses a wide range of areas, including the national administrative system, local autonomy, disaster safety, and police control. Candidate Yoon faces the dual challenge of promoting reform while coordinating this complex structure, which demands political persuasiveness and execution strategies beyond simple policy implementation. Particularly, organizational restructuring, including the abolition of the police bureau, could provoke political conflict, necessitating close consultation with both ruling and opposition parties, as well as the formation of social consensus. Additionally, decentralization and financial distribution reform could increase the financial burden on the central government in the short term and require coordination with related departments such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Issues like increased transfer tax are likely to spark debate during the National Assembly's budget deliberation process, necessitating skills to balance policy persuasion with local community demands. Constructing a digital government is directly related not only to technical implementation but also to structural issues such as personal data protection, bridging the information access gap, and changing administrative culture, which will require addressing internal resistance and external stakeholder adjustments. Reforms in the disaster safety system must also be accompanied by evaluations of past failures and system maintenance, where the collaboration between various departments and local governments can determine success or failure. Candidate Yoon's reform plans are multi-layered and comprehensive, positioning this as an opportunity to test political power, cooperative abilities, and precision in policy design. Furthermore, after the confirmation hearing, leadership that secures internal coordination within the administration and public trust must be established for the proposed administrative reforms to be realized.