33rd 'Opposition Passing'... Kim Osu Report, Ruling Party's Sole Adoption

People Power Party Lawmakers Absent from Legislation Committee
Claiming Invalidity of Hearing Report Adoption

Kim Do-eup Holds Emergency Press Conference
"Beyond Arrogance and Self-Righteousness,
Showing the Essence of Parliamentary Dictatorship"

Kim Oh-soo, the nominee for Prosecutor General, is attending the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 26th, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The confirmation report for Prosecutor General nominee Kim Osu passed the National Assembly on the 31st without bipartisan agreement. If President Moon Jae-in appoints Kim as Prosecutor General, it will be the 33rd ministerial-level appointment since the government’s inception that bypassed the opposition party.

The National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a plenary meeting at 10 a.m. that day and adopted the confirmation report for Prosecutor General Kim requested by the president. The report adoption process proceeded without any objections during the meeting because the People Power Party’s Judiciary Committee members did not attend. Park Jumin, acting chair of the Judiciary Committee and a Democratic Party member, told reporters after the meeting, "The opposition party stated that it would be difficult to cooperate unless the confirmation hearing is held again. We waited about 10 minutes, but since they did not come, we proceeded with the adoption."

Since that day was the deadline for resubmitting the confirmation report, the Democratic Party judged that adopting the hearing report was a necessary measure. At the morning’s Supreme Council meeting, party leader Song Young-gil pointed out, "The People Power Party refuses to adopt the report, demanding the resumption of the hearing, but the opposition party is largely responsible for the breakdown of the normal confirmation process." Floor leader Yoon Hojung also stated, "If the opposition blocks the report adoption again today, I clearly state that we will have no choice but to follow the procedures according to the Confirmation Hearing Act."

The People Power Party continued to oppose, arguing that Kim is unsuitable as Prosecutor General. Judiciary Committee members of the People Power Party claimed that since the confirmation hearing, which was suspended on the 26th, has not resumed, the hearing was not completed, and under such circumstances, adopting the confirmation report is invalid. Immediately after the report passed, Kim Do-eup, the People Power Party’s Judiciary Committee secretary, held an emergency press conference and criticized, "They completely ignored the People Power Party’s continuous requests to resume the hearing and forcibly adopted the report alone," calling it "the essence of ‘parliamentary dictatorship’ beyond ‘arrogance’ and ‘self-righteousness.’" The People Power Party views Kim as having lost political neutrality, citing that he was a suspect in the illegal surveillance and travel ban case involving former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui, and that after retiring from the deputy minister position, he defended persons related to the Lime and Optimus cases.

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