Foreign Minister Jeong Eui-yong's Confirmation Hearing Report Unilaterally Adopted by the Ruling Party

Proposal to Reflect Opposition's Views in Hearing Report Was Made but Not Accepted
People Power Party Lawmaker Leaves After Expressing Ineligibility Opinion

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] On the 8th, the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee adopted the personnel hearing report on nominee for Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong solely by the Democratic Party of Korea. Members from the People Power Party opposed the nomination and refused to adopt the hearing report. The Foreign Affairs Committee made efforts to reflect the opposition party's opinions in the hearing report, but these were rejected due to the opposition's refusal.

On the same day, the National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee held a plenary session and passed the adoption of the personnel hearing report on nominee Chung.

At the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th, the progress report on the confirmation hearing of Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong was adopted while members of the People Power Party were leaving.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

During the meeting, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee from the People Power Party expressed their disqualification opinion and refused to adopt the hearing report. Democratic Party Foreign Affairs Committee members and Lee Tae-gyu of the People’s Party proposed reflecting the opposition party's voices in the hearing report, but this was not accepted as People Power Party members walked out.

Kim Seok-ki, the People Power Party’s Foreign Affairs Committee secretary, cited the lack of necessary materials for verifying nominee Chung’s morality, and raised issues regarding the achievements of inter-Korean summits during his tenure as Director of the National Security Office, as well as matters related to the Korea-US alliance and Korea-Japan diplomacy, expressing a disqualification opinion. In response, Kim Young-ho, the Democratic Party’s Foreign Affairs Committee secretary, countered with a qualification opinion, stating, "I cannot agree with the responsibility theory for the failure of North Korea policy."

Song Young-gil, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee from the Democratic Party, said, "It seems the party has already decided to make a political statement by not adopting the report," and proceeded to adopt the hearing report.

With the ruling party adopting the hearing report alone on this day, nominee Chung is expected to become the 28th minister appointed without the opposition party’s consent.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.