Cronyism has raised red flags over President Lee Jae Myung’s leadership. Lee has filled key government posts with people he knows personally, mostly lawyers and civil rights activists with whom he worked while mayor of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Those with personal ties to Lee are broadly referred to in the media as the “Seongnam Network,” reflecting the bonds they forged in the city. Cronyism is nothing new. Lee is hardly the first president to rely on personal connections when filling key government positions. His predecessors did much the same. What is particularly troubling about the current administration, however, is that Lee appears to be taking the practice to an extreme, appointing people who are unqualified or, in some cases, simply incapable of handling the jobs entrusted to them. Ultimately, the president himself is paying the price. The poor judgment and incompetence of some of his appointees are damaging his standing and eroding his political support base. Ha Dong-keun, president of the Korea District Heating Corp., offers a telling example of what can happen when