The National Assembly will hold a series of confirmation hearings for prime minister nominee Lee Wan-koo early next month, rival political parties said Tuesday.

The ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy agreed in a meeting earlier in the day to conduct the hearings on Feb. 9-10, both sides said.

President Park Geun-hye named Lee as the new prime minister last week in a small-scale Cabinet reshuffle aimed at regaining public confidence. Last week, her approval rating dropped to her all-time low of 30 percent, according to a poll by Gallup Korea.

Before his nomination, Lee was the floor leader of the ruling party.

In South Korea, prime minister nominees are subject to parliamentary approval. (Yonhap)