The National Assembly's Intelligence Committee meeting was abruptly canceled on the 20th. Consequently, the adoption of the personnel hearing report on Lee Jong-seok, the nominee for the Director of the National Intelligence Service, also fell through.

On the 20th, commissioners, including undersheriff Park Seon-won from the Democratic Party of Korea, hold a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, regarding the unilateral cancellation notice of the Intelligence Committee's full meeting on the adoption of the report on the personnel hearing for Lee Jong-seok, candidate for the Director of the National Intelligence Service from the People Power Party. /News1

Representative Lee Seong-gwon, the secretary of the Intelligence Committee from the People Power Party, met with reporters at the National Assembly and said, "Today, it is difficult to adopt the report."

He noted, "As a result of the hearing the previous day, there were still considerable doubts about whether the nominee was suitable as the head of the National Intelligence Service, responsible for national security regarding views on North Korea and security."

During the hearing the previous day, the ruling and opposition parties clashed over the nominee's security and North Korea policies. The People Power Party criticized the nominee's past remarks related to the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system and the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), saying, "His tendencies are pro-North."

In response, the Democratic Party argued that the nominee possesses expertise and capabilities regarding inter-Korean issues and peace on the Korean Peninsula. However, there were no allegations regarding the nominee's personal background during the hearing, leading to expectations that the Intelligence Committee would smoothly adopt the personnel hearing report with an agreement between the parties. Yet, the full meeting was suddenly canceled.

There are also speculations in political circles that the People Power Party might be trying to link the adoption of the nominee's hearing report to negotiations over the redistribution of committee chairmanships, such as the currently Democratic Party-held Legislative and Judiciary Committee. Representative Lee added that there are significant issues regarding the attitude of the government and the Democratic Party concerning the entire operation of the National Assembly, especially early in the administration.

The Democratic Party urged that the Intelligence Committee should convene promptly to adopt the personnel hearing report.

Democratic Party members of the Intelligence Committee held an emergency press conference and stated, "Both the ruling and opposition parties had agreed to adopt the hearing report on the nominee at 10 a.m. on the 20th," and criticized, "Canceling the meeting itself to adopt the report is not verification but a blatant expression of intent to use the personnel hearing as a means to obstruct governance."

They continued, "Using the critical personnel responsible for national security, the head of the National Intelligence Service, as a tool for political strife shows a lack of minimum responsibility as a political party," and demanded, "Return immediately to normal procedures today."