Yoon Approves Appointment of Yoo Sang-im as Minister of Science and ICT... Appointed Without Hearing Report

The National Assembly Refuses to Resend the Hearing Report Request

Yoo Sang-im, nominee for Minister of Science and ICT, is responding to questions from committee members at the confirmation hearing held by the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee on the morning of the 8th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol approved the appointment of Yoo Sang-im as Minister of Science and ICT on the 16th, the presidential office announced.

President Yoon had requested the National Assembly to send the personnel hearing report on Minister Yoo's nomination by the 12th. However, the National Assembly did not comply, and the president requested the hearing report again by the previous day.

Opposition members of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee raised suspicions regarding Yoo's children's false address registration and demanded his voluntary resignation.

During the hearing on the 8th, opposition hearing members repeatedly demanded Yoo's voluntary resignation, pointing out false address registration for children's school admission and illegal stay of his eldest son. Despite Yoo's explanations and apologies, they criticized his answers as "inconsistent," and ultimately did not submit the personnel hearing report.

If the National Assembly does not respond by the deadline for resubmission, the president can appoint the candidate without the personnel hearing report starting the next day, which is interpreted as the reason for approving the appointment on this day.