President Park Geun-hye’s pick for minister of oceans and fisheries has become a new thorn in an ongoing nomination row after a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday revealed her lack of vision and knowledge of key issues.

Both ruling and opposition lawmakers questioned nominee Yoon Jin-sook’s qualifications for the job. The main opposition Democratic United Party on Thursday called for her withdrawal.

“(The minister of oceans and fisheries) is not a post that should be taken by someone with no philosophy, no vision. (The government) should find someone better for the future of the ministry. Yoon should withdraw,” DUP floor leader Park Ki-choon said Thursday.

“Yoon, whom President Park Geun-hye praised as a pearl found in a field of sand, is just sand.” 

During her confirmation hearing, Yoon was unable to provide clear answers to lawmakers’ questions, repeatedly saying, “I am not sure.”

To the question of whether she knew what the duties of the Cabinet members were, Yoon only said “moderating ...” and trailed off again when asked about the structure of Cabinet meetings.

Yoon, a division chief at the Korea Maritime Institute, was also unable to answer questions regarding Korea’s fishing industry, causing lawmakers to berate her as not being able to serve as the fisheries minister with the attitude she displayed during the confirmation hearing.

The president’s personnel selection method came under fire right from the start, with six nominees for top government posts including Kim Yong-joon and Kim Byung-kwan stepping down over a variety of allegations ranging from real estate speculation and tax evasion to influence peddling.

Kim Yong-joon, a former Constitutional Court president who headed the presidential transition committee, was tapped as prime minister, while Kim Byung-kwan was Park’s first choice for defense minister.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)