Ruling and Opposition Parties Set to Clash at National Assembly's Three Confirmation Hearings Today

The National Assembly will hold confirmation hearings on the 15th for Lee Hyung-il, nominee for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Kim Seung-won, nominee for Minister of Justice, and Lee So-young, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, to vet personnel appointments in the second cabinet reshuffle of the Lee Jae-myung administration.

Attention is focused on Kim Seung-won's hearing. The People Power Party is urging a reinvestigation through a parliamentary inspection and a special prosecutor, arguing that the prosecution's decision at the time to drop charges (suspending indictment without trial) over suspicions that Kim sought improper influence to approve a clinical trial (human efficacy testing) for a new COVID-19 drug was wrong. Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has repeatedly released related audio transcripts. The Democratic Party, for its part, maintains there is no grounds for Kim's disqualification unless new evidence emerges proving a quid pro quo.

Regarding the incident in which Kim asked then-Food and Drug Safety Minister Kim Gang-lip to expedite approval of Genexine's COVID-19 treatment clinical trial plan, Kim's side maintains it was a public interest petition permitted under the anti-graft law.

The People Power Party argued that the appointment was made with the aim of withdrawing the indictment in President Lee Jae-myung's case, pointing out that Kim served as co-leader of the 'Lawmakers' Group for the Withdrawal of the Indictment Against President Lee Jae-myung.' The Democratic Party rebutted, saying Kim has no such authority and no intention of interfering.

Key questions at the day's hearings are expected to include the controversy over Lee Hyung-il's actual residence in his apartment and the influence-peddling suspicions surrounding Kim Seung-won.