The ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday adopted the confirmation report on the embattled justice minister nominee despite resistance from the main opposition.
The Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly confirmed Democratic Party Rep. Kim Seung-won to be justice minister by adopting a confirmation report. Along with Kim, reports were also adopted for Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister nominee Lee Hyoung-il.
Minutes before the report on Kim was adopted, all People Power Party members of the judiciary committee walked out in protest, positing that the Democratic Party and committee chair unilaterally pushed for confirmation.
"Adopting a confirmation report based solely on the nominee’s one-sided explanations and the swarming defense by Democratic Party lawmakers that he was cleared of suspicions is not a proper vetting process," People Power Party Rep. Park Hyeung-soo told reporters as they walked out of the committee meeting.
Kim allegedly relayed a request from a lobbyist to drug authorities in 2021 to swiftly approve clinical trials of a COVID-19 drug, the animal test document of which was later found to have been fabricated while a human test was being conducted. The allegation, in turn, fanned accusations that Kim played a part in a related stock price manipulation scheme.
Kim was also slammed for his history of driving under the influence and his family's alleged pursuit of personal gains by running a community cooperative.
The allegations fueled public disapproval. An opinion poll on Sept. 11 showed that 43 percent of respondents believe Kim is unfit to serve as justice minister, with only 22 percent approving of Kim.
Despite the controversies, the judiciary committee chaired by four-term Democratic Party lawmaker Rep. Seo Young-kyo and controlled by Democratic Party lawmakers adopted the confirmation report. Seo on Thursday cited the legitimacy of swift confirmation.
Seo said in a press briefing Wednesday that Kim proved at the hearing Tuesday that he was the right fit, who "listens to the voices of victims and holds prosecutors accountable for their misconduct until the end."
Claiming that Kim had failed to defend against any of his suspicions, the People Power Party's Park said, "Nominating a figure with so many flaws as the justice minister, a position that demands the utmost integrity and fairness, reveals that the goal of appointing Kim to the position is to have him cancel Lee's indictment."
In addition to Kim, the report on the defense minister nominee was likewise adopted in the absence of opposition lawmakers.
Defense Minister nominee Kang was confirmed by the Democratic Party-controlled National Defense Committee, as conservative opponents either walked out during the meeting or were absent in protest of the Democratic Party's unilateral confirmation of "a disqualified nominee." The meeting was convened by the committee chair, Democratic Party Rep. Jin Sung-joon.
Not all nominees' parliamentary confirmations came without a bipartisan confirmation report.
Kim Sung-soo, a nominee to the Supreme Court who earlier had his bipartisan confirmation report adopted at a special committee, earned a vote of 227-28 in his favor, with 13 abstaining.
Lee Hyoung-il, the nominee for deputy prime minister and finance minister, also had his confirmation report adopted Thursday via bipartisan compromise. The Finance, Economy, Planning and Budget Committee is chaired by Democratic Party Rep. Jo Seoung-lae.
However, the other two nominees — SMEs and Startups Minister nominee Rep. Lee So-young and Land Minister nominee Hong Jee-sun — could not be confirmed because People Power Party lawmakers chaired the relevant committees.
The Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee is chaired by People Power Party Rep. Kim Sung-won and the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee is led by People Power Party Rep. Yu Eui-dong. Both committees were supposed to hold general meetings to decide whether to confirm the nominees Thursday, but both were canceled the same morning.
Aside from Supreme Court Justice nominee Kim, none of the other five ministerial nominees require a vote by the National Assembly before presidential appointment.
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