Kim Young Hoon, the nominee for Minister of Employment and Labor, is facing controversy over his actions as the chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) in 2011. Shortly after the death of North Korea’s Kim Jong Il, he applied to visit North Korea under the guise of offering condolences. The following year, he also spearheaded an event called “Unification Golden Bell,” which allegedly glorified the North Korean regime.
According to the office of Kim Hyung Dong, a People Power Party lawmaker representing Gyeongsangbuk-do Province (Andong and Yecheon), and the Ministry of Unification, the nominee sought to visit Pyongyang from December 28 to 29, 2011, to pay respects to Kim Jong Il.
However, the Ministry of Unification rejected the application at the time, citing Article 9-2 of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act. The ministry determined that the visit posed a clear risk to national security, public order, and welfare.
Moreover, the “8.15 Workers’ Unification Golden Bell” event that Kim led in 2012 has come under fire. While ostensibly aimed at unification education, critics argue that it contained biased content glorifying the North Korean regime and promoting anti-American sentiment.
The event stirred controversy with provocative questions such as, “On what date did the U.S. military come to occupy our country?” and “What agreement did the U.S. create to block trade with North Korea completely?”
Lawmaker Kim Hyung Dong emphasized that appointing an individual with strong pro-North Korean leanings to a ministerial position in South Korea’s government is not merely a personnel issue, but a critical matter directly affecting national identity. He stated that the confirmation hearing would rigorously examine the nominee’s suitability for the position.