Article from News1:
‘Important mission’ for Ahn Dae-hee, will he be a vocal and responsible Prime Minister?
Ahn Dae-hee has been nominated as the new Prime Minister. Attention is being drawn to whether he will be able to successfully implement the important mission of settling the Sewol ferry tragedy and reforming the nation. The official mission for Ahn is to “eradicate wrong practices in our society and deep-rooted bureaucratic corruption, and implement national remodeling for a new Republic of Korea”.
On the 22nd, Blue House spokesperson Min Gyeong-wuk said, “He is thought to be the person who will successfully implement national remodeling by strongly pushing forward the reformation of the bureaucracy and governmental organizations, and normalization of the abnormal.” According to the statement from the Blue House on the day, Ahn will be given a heavier duty of national remodeling than that given to any other former Prime Minister.
Ahn will have great authority as the Prime Minister’s office will govern the National Safety Agency that can command ministers in case of national disasters, and the Administrative Reformation Agency that handles personnel administration of officials. He will practically be in a position “under one person, above everyone else” where he can exert strong leadership.
Ahn is well-known as an uncompromising man of integrity. In 2003, as a prosecutor, he was praised for conducting investigations without any special regard about former President Roh Moo-hyun’s associate’s corruption and the Grand National Party’s presidential election funds. He even attracted his own fan club as a prosecutor, a first for the position.
In the last presidential election, former chief supreme court judge Ahn was the chairman of the Saenuri Party’s political reformation committee. He had conflicts with President Park about recruiting former Democratic Party standing advisor Han Gwang-ok who was the chairman of the national unity committee. Ahn strongly criticized that it is inconceivable to recruit such a corrupt figure into the party because Han was convicted in a case Ahn prosecuted for the incident of Nara Investment Bank.
Ahn passed the bar exam at age 20 and built up a strong reputation for “fairness, rule of law and principles” as a prosecutor for 32 years. The Blue House considers Ahn who is uncompromising and vocal as the best candidate for the reformation to remodel the nation. In an interview after the announcement from the Blue House, Ahn said, “I will build a new Republic of Korea based on fairness and rule of law. According to the Constitution and laws, I will advise the President to lead the nation to the right way.”
However, there is a concern about the possibility that Ahn’s uncompromising attitude may clash with President Park Geun-hye’s directly engaging leadership. There was a precedent where a charismatic Prime Minister clashed with the Blue House and resigned. It was the former chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, Lee Hoi-chang who became the Prime Minister in December, 1993.
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Comments from Naver:
mick****:
This person prosecuted everyone who did wrong, whether they were from the Saenuri Party or the Democratic Party. After the presidential election, he left office right away without fooling around or changing words. Nobody in the National Election Commission even knew that. Yes, he is an uncompromising man. I’m quite looking forward to what he will do. As long as there is no sabotage, maybe he will make it.
vtx1****:
This prosecutor ajusshi is a fucking scary man…dur dur. Those who got dirty laundry must be trembling. There is not much to question about him in the confirmation hearing. Criminals may lose sleep. It would be fun to keep an eye on who opposes his appointment.
gksr****:
Those who oppose his appointment should tell me who they support for the Prime Minister position. Let’s see how great they are.
jon5****:
Congratulations on becoming the Prime Minister. It becomes the hotbed for corruption when political mafia (advisors during the presidential elections), National Assembly mafia (lawmakers’ henchmen) as well as bureaucratic mafia and their children secure nepotic positions in the government through the spurious so-called “civilian expert special employment”. As you can see from the special employment of a daughter of a minister of foreign affairs as a diplomat and a Seoul mayor’s daughter’s transfer to the Seoul National University’s law department, the special employment or entrance system opens the door for nepotism. At all workplaces, they should reduce special employment opportunities as much as possible. For all governmental positions, they should hire employees through open competitions that aren’t unfair to common people and their children.
tjwl****:
I look forward to how the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) will oppose his appointment. ^^
pilh****:
It doesn’t seem like Park Geun-hye’s way to interfere with the Prime Minister. Ahn will be able to wreck havoc. Park will pretend to turn a blind eye. I can already smell blood. Those who got dirty laundry will have to give up sleeping comfortably for a while.
vtx1****:
The person who even destroys his own party members if they violate the principles.
myjj****:
I hope he becomes the great politician like Hwang Hui.
gust****:
Wasn’t he the person who was called the prosecutor of the people?? The one who destroyed whoever does wrong, whichever party they are from. Very nice. Those bastards are dead, ke ke.
blee****:
In Germany, when a judge quits, they are not allowed to work as a lawyer. That is the true policy to prevent bureaucratic mafia.
Article from Yonhap News:
Ahn Dae-hee earned 1.6 billion won as a lawyer last year…donated 470 million won
On the 23rd, it was revealed that Prime Minister nominee Ahn Dae-hee earned about 1.6 billion won as a lawyer last year. According to Ahn’s side, Ahn opened a lawyer’s office in Yongsan, Seoul in last July and earned about 1.6 billion won from legal fees, consultations, etc. for 5 months. He paid about 600 million won from his income as taxes.
Ahn spent 600 million won from the after-tax income 1 billion won to buy a 78-pyeong apartment in Hoihyeon-dong, Seoul, and donated 470 million won (450 million won for deprived children’s facilities and schools and 20 million won for political donations).
Presenting a reference about the new apartment in Hoihyeon-dong, Ahn said, “I was living in a 25-year-old house in Gangbuk. Last year, I saw an ad for unsold apartments on sale and bought one at 1.25 billion won. It is for residential purpose and I am currently living in it. I bought it using my income as a lawyer, severance pay (retiring as a supreme court judge), wife’s money and the money from selling the old house (345 million won), etc.”
His income as a lawyer this year has not been correctly estimated yet because he is in the process of handing over the office and returning retainers after he was nominated as the Prime Minister. To this, Ahn’s side said, “The accurate amount of income will be revealed as soon as the necessary documents are prepared.”
As it was confirmed that Ahn earned 1.6 billion won for 5 months of activities as a lawyer, the confirmation hearing can make an issue about whether he was granted any privileges of his former post. To this, a figure from Ahn’s side said, “As he worked with four other lawyers in the office, there were synergetic effects. In the legal field, his level of income as a former supreme court judge is considered normal. Although he was a prosecutor who worked in the special department, he hardly took criminal cases. He mostly dealt with civil cases and offered legal consultations.”
Ahn’s wife’s sister’s husband Lee Yeoung-su, CEO of KMDC, was accused of receiving privileges in overseas natural resources development during the Lee Myung-bak administration. This issue is likely to be brought up in the hearing. Regarding this, Ahn’s side said, “Whether the accusation is true or not, Ahn is not involved in his business and there is no relevance at all.”
Comments from Naver:
moiw****:
Have you seen another politician or businessmen who donate 40% of their after-tax income?
iplu****:
He has donated so much. Those who oppose him, how much have you donated so far?
beat****:
It is great that he donated 470 billion won.
okht****:
600 million won as taxes! That’s great.
0111****:
What will the NPAD accuse him of now…?
musi****:
This shows he’s pretty clean. Look at how much he donated… If you are talented, it’s natural to make lots of money.
zeo3****:
He studied to death to be where he is, legally paid taxes, donated and bought a house. Why do they write an article as if he did something wrong….??
chle****:
Even then, there must be people who bash him for making so much money. If you are a former supreme court judge and cannot make as much money, who else can?
scy1****:
He also donated a lot. Are lawmakers confident enough to bash him?
yuki****:
Although you pay less taxes when you donate a lot, 40% of the income as donations is still very respectable. This reminds me of Kim Jong-hun.. Ha.. freaking sad..
