South Korea Parliament Adopts Justice, Defense Minister
Parliamentary committees adopted confirmation hearing reports for justice and defense minister nominees, with the main opposition party boycotting the
South Korea's National Assembly adopted confirmation hearing reports for nominees to lead the justice and defense ministries on Thursday. The main opposition People Power Party boycotted both votes, protesting that serious allegations against the nominees remained unresolved.
The parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee approved the report for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won. The ruling Democratic Party pushed the adoption forward despite the opposition's walkout. PPP Representative Park Hyeung-soo stated the party's position clearly before leaving. "None of the allegations raised during the hearing have been resolved," Park said.
Kim, a two-term lawmaker, faced questions during Tuesday's hearing about claims he illegally lobbied the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2021. He was accused of seeking to speed up approval for a COVID-19 treatment at a broker's request. The DP argued that Kim had sufficiently explained himself regarding these allegations.
Kim Seung-won's Background
Kim Seung-won served as a judge at both the Jeonju and Suwon district courts before entering politics. He later worked in the presidential office of political affairs under former President Moon Jae-in. Elected to the 21st National Assembly in 2020, he served as the DP's legal affairs committee chief. In that role, he played a key part in passing a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act.
Defense Nominee Report Approved
Separately, the parliamentary national defense committee adopted the confirmation hearing report for Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul. This vote also proceeded without the participation of PPP lawmakers. Democratic Party Representative Kim Byung-joo, the committee's senior member, praised Kang's performance.
Kim said Kang demonstrated a strong commitment to major reform tasks of the Lee Jae Myung administration. These include the planned transfer of wartime operational control from the United States and the integration of the Army, Navy, and Air Force military academies.
Representative Kim also noted Kang's qualifications for managing the South Korea-U.S. Alliance, citing his prior role as deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.
Opposition Raises Objections
The People Power Party disputed Kang's fitness for office. PPP Representative Lim Jong-deuk cited the nominee's failure to properly address suspicions surrounding his son's purchase of commercial property. Lim also criticized the ruling party for refusing to call witnesses to Kang's confirmation hearing.
The adoption of these reports by the committees is a required step before the full National Assembly can hold a plenary vote to confirm the nominees. The process has highlighted the deep partisan divisions within the South Korean parliament.
