Ruling and Opposition Parties Reach Final Agreement to Hold Lee Hyehoon’s Confirmation Hearing on the 23rd... "Materials to Be Submitted in the Afternoon"

Submission of Documents Related to Allegations Against the Nominee

The ruling and opposition parties have reached a final agreement to hold a confirmation hearing for Lee Hyehoon, nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget, on January 23.

Jeong Taeho, Democratic Party secretary of the National Assembly Planning and Budget Committee, announced on January 22, "I have agreed with Park Sooyoung, the People Power Party secretary of the committee, to hold the confirmation hearing tomorrow." A People Power Party official also explained, "The schedule was coordinated as the nominee's side is set to submit the requested materials in the afternoon."

The secretaries of the ruling and opposition parties on the committee had negotiated the previous day over the submission of key documents related to allegations against the nominee and reached a conditional agreement. The materials requested by the People Power Party include: ▲ documents clarifying suspicions regarding gift tax ▲ documents clarifying suspicions of irregular apartment subscription for Banpo One Pentas ▲ records of overseas remittances.

The committee had convened a full meeting on January 19 to prepare for the confirmation hearing, but due to issues surrounding the submission of materials, the nominee was unable to attend, and the proceedings were disrupted.

Lee Hyehoon, nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget, is responding to reporters' questions at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 19th. The full meeting of the Planning and Budget Committee held that day was adjourned after a dispute between the ruling and opposition parties over whether to hold a confirmation hearing for Minister Lee. January 19, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The decision by the ruling and opposition parties to proceed with the confirmation hearing appears to have been influenced by President Lee Jaemyung's remarks at his New Year's press conference the previous day, where he stated, "I wanted to provide an opportunity for the nominee to speak publicly and to hear the judgment of the public who observe the confirmation process."

Kim Youngjin, a Democratic Party member of the committee, commented on the confirmation hearing, saying, "In addition to issues concerning the nominee's personal morality and background, we plan to debate and assess their ability to fulfill the role, the degree of policy preparation, reasons for any policy direction changes, the expansionary fiscal economic development under the Lee Jaemyung administration, and the nominee's capacity to prepare policies that will support economic growth."