D-1 Handuksu Confirmation Hearing... Minjoo and Justice 'No Attendance' vs Gukim 'Stubbornness' (Summary)

On the 24th, one day before the confirmation hearing for Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo, National Assembly staff are preparing for the hearing at the National Assembly's 3rd Conference Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. 2022.4.24 Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers [Image source=Yonhap News]

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] The confirmation hearing schedule for Prime Minister nominee Han Deok-su, which was set for tomorrow, has been put on hold. The Democratic Party and the Justice Party have effectively declared a boycott, citing issues with the submission of materials by the nominee. In response, the People Power Party stated, "If you say you cannot hold the hearing because you are requesting materials that cannot be obtained at this point, will the public accept that?" and urged, "Please adhere to the legally mandated hearing deadline."

On the afternoon of the 24th, eight lawmakers from the Democratic Party and the Justice Party, members of the Special Committee on the Confirmation Hearing for nominee Han, held a press conference at the National Assembly. They said, "We have repeatedly requested the sincere submission of materials necessary for verification and clarification of suspicions, but the nominee's side has ultimately refused the National Assembly's demands," and called for a postponement of the hearing schedule until the materials are received. The hearing was scheduled for two days, the 25th and 26th, as agreed upon by the party floor leaders.

They stated, "The nominee's side has still refused to provide materials, citing reasons such as non-consent to personal information provision, concerns over privacy invasion, expiration of document retention periods, and business secrets making submission impossible," adding, "If the hearing proceeds without essential verification materials, the authority entrusted to the National Assembly by the public to thoroughly scrutinize high-ranking officials will become meaningless."

After the press conference, Democratic Party floor leader Kang Byung-won told reporters, "Participating in the hearing under these circumstances would mean we are merely a rubber stamp for a sloppy verification process," and declared, "We will not participate in the confirmation hearing scheduled for the 25th," effectively signaling non-participation.

Kang added, "I believe negotiations for rescheduling between the party floor leaders will begin soon," and emphasized, "I trust that the nominee will take the National Assembly's serious demands more responsibly and faithfully submit the requested materials."

The People Power Party expressed that calling for a postponement just one day before the hearing is an abandonment of the legislative branch's duty and is unacceptable.

Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo [Photo by Yonhap News]

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Four People Power Party lawmakers from the Confirmation Hearing Special Committee issued a written statement to reporters, saying, "Unilaterally notifying us at 2 p.m. on a Sunday, less than 20 hours before the hearing, that you cannot participate tomorrow and demanding renegotiation of the schedule shows neither consideration for the other party nor respect for the public," and countered, "Since the nominee's hearing request was submitted on April 7, our National Assembly is obligated to complete the hearing by the 26th."

They continued, "So far, about 1,090 documents have been requested from the Prime Minister confirmation preparation team, which is three to four times more than the 319 requested during Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon's time, 250 during Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun's, and 347 during Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum's, and most have been answered," arguing that some requests were excessive and could not be answered. They added, "For example, comprehensive real estate transaction records of the nominee's deceased father (1907?1982) and mother (1913?1994), who passed away more than a generation ago; all salary records since appointment as a section chief in 1970; all business trip records from 1982 to 1997; all meeting minutes during the participatory government prime ministership; real estate contracts from 30 years ago; all personal credit card usage records from the past 10 years; and all domestic and international airport duty-free purchase lists of the nominee's family over the past 20 years are representative examples."

Senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, Heo Eun-ah, also issued a statement that day, saying, "The Democratic Party and the Justice Party are so stubborn that if the schedule postponement is not accepted, they are even willing to boycott the hearing," and added, "Nominee Han has sincerely responded to the materials necessary for verification as a public official and is fully prepared to explain any questions the public may have during the hearing." She further criticized, "If you prepare for the confirmation hearing with the public and national interest in mind, it should be fine, but suddenly throwing a tantrum the day before and using political tricks to portray the nominee as unfit is unacceptable."

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