Kim Bu-gyeom Confirmation Report Not Adopted Within Deadline... Ruling Party: "Opposition Above the Law" (Summary)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The appointment approval report for Prime Minister nominee Kim Boo-kyum ultimately failed to be adopted within the legal deadline.

The National Assembly’s Personnel Hearing Special Committee must submit the report to the Speaker by the 10th, three days after the hearing ends. However, as the ruling and opposition parties failed to narrow their differences, the entire committee meeting was canceled that day and then convened solely by the ruling party, resulting in a deadlock. The approval process for Prime Minister nominee Kim is stalled as the ruling party links the fate of three ministerial nominees?Im Hye-sook, Park Jun-young, and Noh Hyung-wook?whom the People Power Party deemed unfit, to the adoption of the report.

Seo Byung-soo, chairman of the special committee and a member of the People Power Party, held a separate press conference at 2 p.m., when the committee meeting was originally scheduled, and announced that the committee would not convene. Seo criticized President Moon Jae-in’s remarks during the Q&A session following his 4th anniversary special address that morning, where he said, “I do not think that opposition from the opposition party means the verification has failed” regarding ministers whom the opposition demands to resign. Seo said, “This means the candidate will be appointed regardless of the personnel hearing results,” and added, “As chairman, I will not adopt a formal personnel hearing progress report.”

The Democratic Party strongly opposed this, saying the opposition’s resistance was unilateral and unjustified. Han Jun-ho, the Democratic Party’s floor spokesperson, stated in a commentary, “The opposition is throwing a tantrum to dominate above the law under the pretext of negotiations,” and emphasized, “Personnel hearings should not be a subject of political strife.”

At around 4:45 p.m., Democratic Party members of the personnel hearing special committee held a meeting alone without the opposition and urged the People Power Party to adopt the report. Park Chan-dae, the ruling party’s secretary, said, “The People Power Party, which criticized the prime minister vacancy citing a government vacuum, is now fostering a government vacuum by delaying the adoption of the progress report without clear reasons,” and added, “If this is a political conclusion to refuse the report adoption and stall for time, the responsibility clearly lies with the People Power Party.”

Kim Do-eup, the opposition party’s secretary, held another press conference and rebutted, “In the morning, it was agreed among secretaries to leave the report adoption issue to the floor leaders’ consultation,” and accused, “The Democratic Party broke the agreement and held the meeting unilaterally.”

Lee Eun-joo, floor spokesperson for the Justice Party, criticized both major parties simultaneously, saying, “Amid various pressing livelihood issues including the Loss Compensation Act, the primary responsibility for repeatedly paralyzing the National Assembly over the hearing issue lies with the ruling party, above all else.”

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