Today's Kim Haeng Confirmation Hearing Ends in 'Catastrophe'... Minister Candidate and Ruling Party Lawmakers Boycott

The Hearing Continued for Two Days but the Candidate Was Absent
Previous Day, Candidate Kim Haeng and Ruling Party Lawmakers Walked Out Together

The confirmation hearing for Kim Haeng, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is heading toward a breakdown in the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee.

The hearing for nominee Kim, held for the second day on the 6th, did not proceed properly as not only ruling party members but also Kim herself were absent.

Kwon In-sook, chairwoman of the Gender Equality and Family Committee from the Democratic Party, resumed the committee meeting that had been adjourned at dawn, stating, "I tried to contact nominee Kim, but there has been no response," and added, "If she has the attitude befitting a nominee for a cabinet member, she should come to this place and attend the hearing even now. President Yoon Seok-yeol needs to make a prompt decision regarding a nominee who is unqualified and cannot even handle the hearing."

On the 21st of last month, during the full meeting of the National Assembly's Gender and Family Committee, seats for ruling party lawmakers and Cabinet members were empty.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, the People Power Party took the position that the responsibility for the hearing's breakdown lies with Chairwoman Kwon and the Democratic Party. At the People Power Party’s National Assembly inspection countermeasure meeting held before the Gender Equality and Family Committee meeting, Gender Equality and Family Committee member and People Power Party whip Jeong Gyeong-hee said, "The Democratic Party and Chairwoman Kwon In-sook of the Democratic Party repeated parliamentary violence by unilaterally proceeding with the session, apologizing just before the hearing started yesterday but then again unilaterally proceeding at night," and declared, "We urge Chairwoman Kwon to resign and clearly state that we will not agree to any parliamentary schedule except for the inspection."

The opposition strongly criticized nominee Kim’s departure from the hearing room. Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the party’s Supreme Council meeting that day, "There was an unprecedented incident where nominee Kim left the hearing room while the hearing was still in progress," and criticized, "This shows that the nominee herself admitted she cannot face the confirmation hearing with confidence."

The previous day, the Gender Equality and Family Committee had broken down when nominee Kim and ruling party members collectively walked out. During the hearing, Chairwoman Kwon criticized Kim’s answers and said, "If you maintain that attitude, you should resign yourself," which angered ruling party members. People Power Party members protested, saying, "The chairperson must remain neutral," and then left together with nominee Kim. Opposition members, including those from the Democratic Party, tried to block them, saying, "Where are you running off to?" causing confusion. Chairwoman Kwon and opposition Gender Equality and Family Committee members insisted that additional hearings were necessary and tried to continue the hearing by changing the session, but the absence of Chairwoman Kwon made further hearings difficult.

Originally, People Power Party members had stated that Chairwoman Kwon needed to apologize before they would return to the hearing. However, they now say that is no longer the case. People Power Party lawmaker Jo Eun-hee said on MBC Radio’s ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Focus,’ "The public apology was yesterday’s issue," and added, "(The minister nominee) has no obligation to attend today’s meeting. The hearing ended yesterday." In effect, there is no longer any reason to participate in the confirmation hearing for nominee Kim.