Seoul: South Korean rival political parties clashed on Wednesday as they disagreed over the eligibility of Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok during the second and final day of his confirmation hearings.
The main opposition People Power Party demanded the nominee submit evidence to clarify allegations surrounding his wealth and family, while the ruling Democratic Party protested the PPP’s baseless attacks were disrupting a thorough vetting of his abilities.
“The hearing cannot proceed like this,” PPP Rep. Bae June-young, ranking member of the confirmation hearing committee, said, demanding that the nominee submit records of the tax and other payments he claimed to have made the previous day.
Bae also demanded immigration records and a report card proving that Kim did earn a master’s degree at China’s Tsinghua University.
“I will provide what I can and what is necessary,” the nominee answered.
DP Rep. Chai Hyun-il shot back, however, by citing the cases of former prime ministers under PPP-affiliated administrations, such as Han Duck-soo, Hwang Kyo-ahn and Chung Hong-won, saying various documents went unsubmitted during their confirmation hearings.
“Was it an invasion of privacy then but vetting now?” he protested.
The prime minister is the only Cabinet position that requires parliamentary consent for appointment. Other minister nominees undergo the confirmation process, but consent is not necessary for their appointment by the president.
The PPP is unlikely to agree to adopting a report, which is a step in the confirmation process, as it has consistently questioned Kim’s eligibility and demanded his withdrawal.
During the first day of hearings Tuesday, the PPP grilled the nominee over the source of his income amid large differences between his reported wealth and spending, as well as allegations surrounding his son’s college admissions and his own studies at Tsinghua University, Yonhap news agency reported.
The DP defended the nominee while highlighting his professional aptitude to serve in the number 2 government role.
The motion for a prime minister’s confirmation passes by majority approval, with a majority of lawmakers present.
The DP can single-handedly pass Kim’s motion as it currently holds a parliamentary majority with 167 out of 298 seats.
Kim, a four-term lawmaker of the DP and a former top campaign aide to President Lee Jae Myung, shared his thoughts on some of Lee’s campaign pledges, such as a 4.5-day workweek.
“The overall direction was proposed, and the execution plans have to be discussed additionally,” he said. “Reducing the number of working days can be considered in line with global trends and human nature.”
On the pledge to raise the retirement age, Kim said it is a matter requiring comprehensive discussions and social acceptance.
“If I become prime minister, I think it could be worth commissioning a full-scale study by a state-run think tank,” he said.
The PPP has called for extending the hearings by a day to better vet the nominee, while the DP has maintained they should be completed on Wednesday before finalising the confirmation next week.
(IANS)
