The ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday adopted the confirmation report on its embattled justice minister nominee despite resistance from the main opposition.
The Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly confirmed Democratic Party Rep. Kim Seung-won as the Justice Minister by adopting a confirmation report.
Along with Kim, reports were also adopted for defense minister nominee Kang Shin-chul and deputy prime minister and finance minister nominee Lee Hyoung-il. In an apparent show of resistance to the ruling Democratic Party's unilateral push, two committees chaired by the main opposition People Power Party cancelled proceedings where they were to discuss whether to confirm two other minister nominees.
Minutes before the report on Kim was adopted, all People Power Party members of the judiciary committee walked out in protest, claiming the Democratic Party and the committee chair's push for confirmation was made unilaterally.
"Adopting a confirmation report based solely on the nominee’s one-sided explanations and the swarming defense by Democratic Party lawmakers that he was cleared of suspicions is not a vetting process," People Power Party Rep. Park Hyeung-soo told reporters as they walked out of the committee meeting.
Kim allegedly relayed a request from a lobbyist to drug authorities in 2021 to swiftly approve clinical trials of a COVID-19 drug, whose animal test document was later found to have been fabricated while a human test was being conducted. The allegation, in turn, has fanned accusations that Kim played a part in a related stock price manipulation scheme.
Kim was also slammed for his history of driving under the influence and his family's pursuit of personal gains by running a community cooperative.
The allegations had fueled public disapproval. An opinion poll on Sept. 11 showed that 43 percent of respondents believe Kim is unfit for the justice minister position, with only 22 percent approving of Kim.
Despite the controversies, the judiciary committee chaired by four-term Democratic Party lawmaker Rep. Seo Young-kyo, and controlled by Democratic Party lawmakers, adopted the confirmation report. Seo on Thursday cited the legitimacy of her friendly lawmakers' call to adopt the confirmation report swiftly.
Seo said in a press briefing on Wednesday that Kim proved himself at the hearing Tuesday that he was the right fit for the Justice Minister position, who "listens to the voices of victims and targets the prosecutors' misconduct until the end to hold them accountable."
Claiming that Kim had failed to defend any of his suspicions, People Power Party's Park said, "Nominating a figure with so many flaws as the Justice Minister, a position that demands the utmost integrity and fairness, reveals that the goal of appointing Kim to the position is to have him cancel Lee's indictment."
In addition to Kim, the report on the defense minister nominee was also adopted in the absence of opposition lawmakers.
Kang Shin-chul, a nominee for the Defense Minister post, was confirmed by the Democratic Party-controlled National Defense Committee of the parliament, as conservative opponents either walked out during the meeting or were absent in protest of the Democratic Party's unilateral confirmation of "a disqualified nominee." The meeting was convened by the committee chair, Democratic Party Rep. Jin Sung-joon.
By contrast, Lee Hyoung-il, the nominee for deputy prime minister and finance minister, adopted the confirmation report Thursday based on bipartisan compromise. The Finance, Economy, Planning and Budget Committee is chaired by Democratic Party Rep. Jo Seoung-lae.
However, the other two nominees — SMEs and startups minister nominee Rep. Lee So-young and land minister nominee Hong Jee-sun could not be confirmed because People Power Party lawmakers chaired the relevant committees.
The Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee is chaired by People Power Party Rep. Kim Sung-won and the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee is led by People Power Party Rep. Yu Eui-dong. Both committees were supposed to hold general meetings to decide whether to confirm the nominees Thursday, but they were both canceled Thursday morning.
None of the five ministerial nominees would require a vote by the National Assembly. The presidential appointment could be made without the parliamentary committee's confirmation of the nominees.
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