Democratic Party: "Failure to Submit Data Insults the National Assembly and the People... Is It Acceptable to Submit Incomplete Data Because Daughter Is Crying?"
People Power Party Responds: "Feeling a Sense of Change, Previous Hearings Were Also Inadequate"
Park Bo-gyun, nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is attending the confirmation hearing held by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee at the National Assembly on the 2nd, taking the oath as a witness. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The confirmation hearing for Park Bo-gyun, nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was held at 10 a.m. on the 2nd at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee. The ruling and opposition parties exchanged tense words over the submission of documents by nominee Park.
The hearing for nominee Park was originally scheduled for the 29th of last month but was postponed due to conflicts among lawmakers over the insufficient submission of documents by the nominee.
Park Jung, the Democratic Party's floor leader, pointed out through a procedural statement that the documents submitted by nominee Park were insufficient.
Following this, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Cheong-rae said, "We requested documents related to allegations of free provision of wedding expenses for his daughter and the Samsung scholarship allegations concerning his two daughters, but the nominee's side refused to submit the documents, saying 'the daughter is crying.' Today’s hearing cannot proceed due to lack of materials," he criticized.
Kim Seung-soo, the People Power Party's floor leader, said, "I feel a sense of great change; I realize that the ruling and opposition have switched. In the past, during the confirmation hearings of Ministers Hwang Hee and Park Yang-woo, important documents were not submitted, but now the situation has reversed, and demands are being made."
Kim added, "I heard that nominee Park made efforts to submit documents and even went to explain difficult content one by one, but since lawmakers feel there are many shortcomings, I hope that any possible documents will be submitted before the afternoon hearing resumes."
Meanwhile, in his opening remarks, nominee Park stated, "Having worked as a journalist for nearly 40 years, my main areas of interest have been culture and politics, language and leadership, civilization and history, artistic spirit, and literary imagination." He added, "Reflecting on my relationship with culture, the movement to repurchase the Korean Empire Legation near Washington DC was the first significant point of contact."
Regarding his priority tasks, nominee Park listed ▲ policies to expand the originality of K-Culture recognized worldwide ▲ simplification of support systems and customized support so that artists can focus solely on creation ▲ inclusion of tourism and travel industries affected by COVID-19 in damage support targets ▲ expansion of opportunities for cultural enjoyment and infrastructure for culturally marginalized groups and persons with disabilities.
Nominee Park said, "To this end, I will closely consult with related ministries and the National Assembly," and added, "Since my days as a reporter, I have always emphasized the importance of the field, so I will plan and implement competitive policies."
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