26th Science and ICT Committee Lee Jin-suk Broadcasting Commission Chair Nominee Hearing
Originally Two Days, Extended to Three by Opposition's Sole Resolution
Ruling Party "Should Have Been Through Ruling and Opposition Whips' Consultation" Protest
The National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee continued the third day of the confirmation hearing for nominee Lee Jin-sook, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, while the ruling party expressed opposition from the start of the meeting over the opposition party's unilateral extension of the schedule.
Candidate Lee Jin-sook, nominee for Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, is reviewing materials ahead of the confirmation hearing held by the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee on the 26th. Photo by Hwang Seo-yul chestnut@
On the 26th at 11:11 a.m., the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee held the third day of Lee's confirmation hearing. The hearing, originally scheduled for the 24th and 25th, was extended to this day following the opposition party's proposal and unilateral approval of the agenda item titled 'Change of Personnel Hearing Implementation Plan' the previous day.
Ruling party lawmakers protested the schedule change without bipartisan consultation. Choi Hyung-doo, the ruling party's floor leader and member of the People Power Party, called it an "unprecedented situation," saying, "The personnel hearing has been distorted from verifying the nominee's qualifications and policies into a stamina test hearing." He added, "There was even an incident where a senior official of the Korea Communications Commission was taken away in an ambulance."
Choi said, "Although the chairperson claimed to have obtained the Speaker of the National Assembly's consent, there should have been consultation between the ruling and opposition floor leaders."
Park Jung-hoon, a People Power Party lawmaker, criticized, "Despite having sufficient verification time over two days, the hearing continuing into the third day due to lack of materials is an unprecedented political incident since the start of the hearing system," adding, "We must seriously consider whether (Acting Chairperson and Vice Chairperson) Lee Sang-in of the Korea Communications Commission should also be subject to impeachment."
Kim Hyun, the opposition party floor leader and member of the Democratic Party of Korea, rebutted, "The deadline to submit necessary materials such as foreign exchange transactions and stock trading records was the 25th," and added, "On the 24th, Representative Noh Jong-myeon made a parliamentary procedure statement requesting a three-day extension if the nominee did not provide sincere responses to the material submission requests."
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