The already fraught relations between the ruling and opposition parties appear likely to deteriorate, with President Park Geun-hye expected to push through her appointments for prosecutor general and welfare minister.

On Tuesday, the presidential office asked the National Assembly to provide confirmation hearing reports on Minister of Health and Welfare-nominee Moon Hyung-pyo and Prosecutor General-nominee Kim Jin-tae by Wednesday. If the reports are not sent to the presidential office by the requested time, the president is entitled to confirm the appointments herself from Thursday.

Despite Cheong Wa Dae’s insistence that no decision regarding the appointment has been made, the move has riled the main opposition Democratic Party.

The DP has opposed Moon’s nomination, alleging that he used a corporate credit card for personal use while he was working at the Korea Development Institute.

“(By appointing Moon) President Park Geun-hye will cause a third personnel management crisis,” DP floor leader Rep. Jun Byung-hun said. He added that such a move would reinforce the view that Park operates state affairs in an “anti-communicative and self-righteous” way.

Meanwhile, alleged election interference by government and military organizations continued to bog down the National Assembly, with the DP continuing the call for a special counsel investigation.

“The DP’s position is clear. Leave the election-related allegations to the special counsel, and reform the system to allow the special committee to prevent recurrences,” DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil said.

Although the ruling Saenuri Party has accepted the demand to establish a special parliamentary committee for reforming the NIS, it remains firmly against launching a special counsel investigation.

On the second day of the interpellation session, the DP accused the Ministry of National Defense’s Cyber Warfare Command of operating a systematic online campaign. Last month it was revealed that a number of individuals employed by the unit posted negative comments about the DP’s then presidential candidate Rep. Moon Jae-in.

“Cyber command agents submitted two-to-three-page-long reports to the minister and the commander, and a one-page report to Cheong Wa Dae and the NIS each day,” Rep. Kim Kwang-jin said. The first-term lawmaker claims that he was given related information by a former Cyber Warfare Command agent.

Kim Kwang-jin also claimed that the first officer to head the unit was removed after he objected to the Defense Security Command and the NIS being involved in the operations of his unit.

Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin denied the claims, saying that no such report exists and that the daily briefings are only about North Korea’s cyber activities.

While the political row over the Cyber Warfare Command continues, the Defense Ministry is reported to be expanding its investigation into the allegations.

So far, the ministry has looked into more than 30 Cyber Warfare Command personnel, including its chief, Brig. Gen. Ok Do-gyeong. According to reports, the ministry is focusing on determining whether the online posts were made under orders, and plans to investigate all of the unit’s 100 or so personnel if necessary.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)