Hong Ik-pyo: "If Lee Gyun-yong's Appointment Consent Fails, Yoon Is Responsible for Personnel Verification Failure"

Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on the 5th that regarding the nomination consent bill for Lee Gyun-yong, the nominee for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, "If the nomination consent bill is rejected at the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 6th, it is entirely the responsibility of President Yoon Seok-yeol, who recommended an unqualified candidate and failed in personnel screening."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Floor Leader Hong said, "I hope that the nominee appointed will be one who meets the expectations of the people, not a candidate who suits the president's taste."

He criticized, "The government, the ruling party, and some media outlets are stirring public opinion day after day regarding the vote on the Chief Justice nomination consent, citing a judicial vacancy," adding, "This is a clear violation of the separation of powers." He also added, "It is an act that nullifies the legislative branch's authority over the Chief Justice nomination consent as stipulated by the Constitution and the National Assembly's personnel hearing procedures."

Regarding the personnel hearings for Kim Haeng, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and Yoo In-chon, the nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, held that day, Floor Leader Hong said, "Although the unprecedented situation of ministerial appointments without hearings was prevented through an agreement between the floor leaders of both parties, the avoidance of the personnel hearing schedule by nominee Kim Haeng and the ruling party's attitude are beyond disappointing and very concerning," pointing out, "The ruling party's refusal to hold the personnel hearings itself is a direct challenge to the president's personnel authority and a disregard for the sovereign people."

He continued, "The Democratic Party has made every effort to hold the personnel hearings properly," emphasizing, "After completing the hearings, we will once again ask the people to judge the two nominees."

Earlier, on the 27th of last month, the Democratic Party unilaterally decided the schedule for nominee Kim's personnel hearing. The People Power Party opposed this and demanded apologies from Kwon In-sook, the chairwoman of the Gender Equality and Family Committee, and Shin Hyun-young, the opposition party's secretary of the committee. That morning, Chairwoman Kwon expressed regret in her opening remarks at Kim's personnel hearing, saying, "I regret that the hearing schedule was decided without the ruling party's attendance," and Jeong Kyung-hee, the People Power Party secretary, accepted this by saying, "We will accept the chairwoman's apology as representing the Democratic Party," allowing the hearing to proceed normally that day.

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