野 "Yoon's Appointment Push" vs. Ruling Party "Obstruction"... Frame War Over Lee Won-seok and Han Ki-jung Appointments

Deadline for Submission of Confirmation Report Passed
Ruling and Opposition Parties Fail to Agree on Report Adoption
Yoon Indicates Possibility of Proceeding with Appointment

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] President Yoon Seok-yeol requested the National Assembly to send the personnel hearing outcome reports for nominee Lee Won-seok for Prosecutor General and nominee Han Ki-jung for Fair Trade Commission Chairman by the 15th, but the National Assembly is engaged in a tug-of-war over whether to adopt the outcome reports.

Nominees Han and Lee completed their personnel hearings on the 2nd and 5th respectively at the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee and Legislation and Judiciary Committee, but the adoption of the reports failed. The deadline for sending the personnel hearing outcome reports for both nominees expired on the 13th.

Accordingly, President Yoon requested the National Assembly yesterday to resend the personnel hearing outcome reports for the two nominees by the 15th. Lee Jae-myung, Deputy Spokesperson of the Presidential Office, said in a briefing at the Presidential Office building, "Despite exceeding the deadline stipulated by the Personnel Hearing Act, the Democratic Party opposes the adoption of the outcome reports," adding, "Refusing to adopt the reports even by violating the legal deadline risks being seen as reckless obstruction of state affairs."

Members of the Democratic Party belonging to the Political Affairs Committee and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee hold the position that the two nominees are unfit as Prosecutor General and Fair Trade Commission Chairman, and do not agree to adopt the hearing reports. A member of the Political Affairs Committee explained, "Nominee Han is an unfit figure as Fair Trade Commission Chairman. However, since the opposition party might frame it as obstruction if they judge him unfit, they are currently not agreeing to adopt the outcome report." He added, "Anyway, it seems President Yoon will push through the appointments."

A Democratic Party official from the Legislation and Judiciary Committee pointed out, "During the Prosecutor General hearing process, summons and non-custodial indictments against Representative Lee began the very next day. Nothing has been done regarding Mrs. Kim Geon-hee, and there is no expectation for political neutrality and public interest." He continued, "Regardless of whether the reports are resent, we are not in a position to adopt the personnel hearing outcome reports," and predicted, "Even if we write 'unfit,' I don't think the appointments will be stopped."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

If the hearing reports are not adopted, President Yoon is highly likely to push through the appointments of the two nominees. According to the Personnel Hearing Act, the president sends the ministerial nominee personnel hearing request to the National Assembly, and if 20 days pass without the report being sent, the president can request the National Assembly to resend the report within a set period of 10 days. After this period, the president can appoint the nominee as minister starting the following day.

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