President Lee Jae-myung to decide Thursday on Kim Seung-won's nomination

Amid a standoff between the National Assembly and the ruling party over the appointment of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, President Lee Jae-myung spent all of the 17th deliberating whether to grant his approval (the process by which the president re-confirms a bill passed by the National Assembly). The president ultimately let the evening pass without approving the appointment, raising the possibility that he will state his position on the matter at a press conference on the 18th.

The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee adopted the personnel hearing report (a summary of the nominee's fitness for office following confirmation hearings) for Kim at a general meeting on the 17th, led by the Democratic Party. Lawmakers from the People Power Party walked out of the session in protest. The PPP has opposed the appointment, citing allegations that Kim solicited approvals for clinical trials of a new drug, among other suspicions.

President Lee will hold his seventh press conference since taking office at 10 a.m. on the 18th at the Yeongbin-gwan state guesthouse in Cheong Wa Dae, attended by some 150 domestic and foreign journalists. Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public communication, explained the purpose of the press conference at a briefing on the 15th.