People Power Party Considers Launching Its Own Personnel Verification Team
Seeking to Reverse Public Opinion Through Ministerial Confirmation Hearings
As the National Assembly prepares for confirmation hearings for the first group of ministerial nominees under the Lee Jaemyung administration, the power struggle between the ruling and opposition parties is intensifying. The People Power Party is considering launching its own personnel verification body, arguing that it is "difficult to find a nominee without suspicions." Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has announced its intention to actively defend the nominees, vowing that "not a single nominee will be withdrawn."
Yoon Hanhong, chairman of the Political Affairs Committee from the People Power Party, is presenting agenda items including the adoption of the hearing plan for nominee Kwon Oeul for Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs at the full meeting of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee on the 3rd. Photo by Yonhap News
Song Eonseok, acting chairman and floor leader of the People Power Party, stated at an emergency party meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of July 7, "Following the confirmation hearing for the Prime Minister, hearings for ministerial nominees will continue," emphasizing, "The People Power Party will fully carry out its role of oversight and criticism as the opposition party."
Song went on to label certain nominees as unfit for office, stating, "Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun, who less than a year after giving a lecture warning that children whose parents buy them apartments will become entrenched in their social status, helped his own son purchase an apartment; Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs nominee Kwon Oeul, who worked at five different places simultaneously without signing employment contracts; Minister of Unification nominee Chung Dongyoung, who, while his entire family was involved in the solar energy business, repeatedly proposed bills supporting the solar industry; and Minister of Education nominee Lee Jinsook, who violated research ethics by both plagiarizing her students' theses and publishing duplicate papers."
Song further criticized, "It appears that the administration has deliberately chosen to appoint only those with criminal records and numerous suspicions, just like the President and the Prime Minister."
The People Power Party is reportedly considering forming a so-called "Lee Jaemyung Administration Personnel Disaster National Verification Team" to conduct thorough scrutiny. The team would be led by Yoo Sangbeom, the party's chief deputy floor leader, and would include opposition members from the National Assembly's standing committees as well as members of the verification team. The team plans to investigate not only suspicions reported by the media but also allegations regarding the nominees' morality and qualifications received through public tips.
As of this date, President Lee Jaemyung has nominated candidates for 17 out of 19 ministries, excluding the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Confirmation hearings for nominees, except for Song Miryung, who remains as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, are scheduled to take place throughout this month. Currently, hearings are set for July 14 for Kang Sunwoo, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family; July 15 for Kwon Oeul, nominee for Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Han Seongsook, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, and Kim Sunghwan, nominee for Minister of Environment; and July 16 for Kim Younghoon, nominee for Minister of Employment and Labor.
Having recently suffered setbacks in the approval of Prime Minister Kim Minseok and the passage of the supplementary budget, the People Power Party aims to reverse public opinion through the upcoming confirmation hearings. Nominee Kang Sunwoo is under scrutiny for failing to report 10,000 stock options owned by her spouse; nominee Kwon Oeul faces allegations of falsifying employment records; and nominee Chung Dongyoung is suspected of a conflict of interest related to his family's involvement in the solar energy business.
On the other hand, the Democratic Party plans to swiftly complete the confirmation hearings and finalize the new government's inaugural cabinet. Kang Hoonshik, chief of staff to the President, stated during the first high-level party-government meeting of the Lee Jaemyung administration held at the Prime Minister's residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, the previous day, "I ask the party to ensure that the confirmation procedures for cabinet members proceed quickly," adding, "If the confirmation process is delayed, it will be impossible to predict the subsequent schedule, which is a cause for concern and fear."
The fact that seven of the ministerial nominees are incumbent Democratic Party lawmakers is considered advantageous for the party, as sitting lawmakers have already undergone significant vetting during the election process. However, there are concerns that if the Democratic Party, after pushing through the confirmation of Prime Minister Kim Minseok without the participation of People Power Party lawmakers, also unilaterally processes the confirmation reports for the ministerial nominees, it may be perceived as monopolizing power, leading to negative public opinion.
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