Ruling and opposition parties fail to agree on 'approval'... Ruling party says "Prime Minister only" vs Opposition says "Prime Minister + 3 Ministers"

Failure to Reach Agreement at Ruling and Opposition Floor Leaders' Meeting on the Afternoon of the 11th

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] The tense tug-of-war between the ruling and opposition parties over the confirmation of Prime Minister nominee Kim Boo-kyum continues. Following the first meeting chaired by the Speaker of the National Assembly on the morning of the 11th, the meeting between the floor leaders of both parties in the afternoon also ended without an agreement on the prime minister's confirmation.

During the two meetings held in one day regarding the prime minister's confirmation, the floor leaders of both parties only confirmed their differences in position and left. The People Power Party maintains that the prime minister's confirmation is impossible until the three minister nominees Im Hye-sook, Park Jun-young, and Noh Hyung-wook either resign voluntarily or withdraw their nominations. In response, the Democratic Party of Korea proposed to first process the prime minister's confirmation and then discuss the fate of the minister nominees.

Yoon Ho-jung, the Democratic Party floor leader, said in his opening remarks at the afternoon meeting, "This is the time when the government and the National Assembly must put all their efforts into securing vaccines and increasing the vaccination rate," emphasizing, "Therefore, the position of the prime minister, who is responsible for the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, cannot be left vacant even for a day."

He added, "Since the prime minister's confirmation bill must be processed as soon as possible, I requested the Speaker to convene a plenary session today to submit the confirmation bill," and said, "I believe the People Power Party understands my intention well." He continued, "This is not just my wish, but if you consider how much pain the people are suffering from the national crisis, People Power Party members will make a decision immediately."

He further stated, "If you cooperate first with the processing of the prime minister's confirmation bill, our party will sincerely and wholeheartedly discuss other matters."

This is interpreted as meaning that if the opposition agrees to process the prime minister's appointment consent bill first, a separate discussion table will be set up for the minister nominees.

However, the People Power Party holds the position that the prime minister's confirmation cannot be separated from the three ministers.

Kim Ki-hyun, the People Power Party floor leader, retorted, "The vacancy of the prime minister is entirely the ruling party's responsibility."

Kim said, "The previous prime minister resigned due to his presidential election schedule, and the president accepted his resignation," and criticized, "If the COVID-19 situation is really concerning, it is only natural that the prime minister remain in office until the National Assembly confirms the next prime minister nominee."

He added, "Nevertheless, I have no intention of neglecting the government vacancy or engaging in unnecessary disputes," and said, "If what the ruling party or government side is doing appears one-sided, that goes against the spirit of cooperation. I hope the opposition will make concessions if necessary so that the ruling party can also make some concessions to reach a good resolution."

After the meeting, Kang Min-kuk, the People Power Party floor spokesperson, told reporters, "(The People Power Party) views the prime minister nominee and the three minister nominees as one personnel package," and pointed out, "Floor leader Yoon wants to confirm only the prime minister first, and there is a difference in that regard."

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