The confirmation hearing for candidate Kim Min-seok, nominated as the first Prime Minister of the Lee Jae-myung administration, ended in turmoil amid extreme confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties. The Democratic Party of Korea is expected to move forward with a vote for National Assembly approval as early as the 30th, even without the adoption of a confirmation report. This marks the first occasion since former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon during the Moon Jae-in administration.

Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok attends the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 25th, answering questions from lawmakers. /Courtesy of News1

On the morning of the 26th, Chairperson Lee Jong-bae of the People Power Party's special committee for personnel hearings held a press conference and emphasized, “Isn’t this suggesting that they will process the matter in a plenary session without a confirmation report? While there have been precedents, if you want to work confidently as the first Prime Minister of the Lee Jae-myung administration, it would be smoother to adopt the report after agreement between the ruling and opposition parties.”

The People Power Party raised concerns over the failure to submit key documents, including candidate Kim Min-seok's loan and repayment history and gift tax payment records, stating, “We will return to the hearing if the document submission proceeds normally.”

People Power Party's Secretary Baek Joon-young also criticized, saying, “The Democratic Party claiming it has passed the verification is a sort of mental victory,” and added, “The media and the public, having observed the hearing for two days, all know that no allegations have been resolved.” He raised his voice, asserting, “The responsibility to clear the allegations lies with the candidate, but candidate Kim has not been able to explain at all. He needs to receive the public’s evaluation.”

In contrast, the Democratic Party countered that the People Power Party is using the hearing for political purposes. Democratic Party spokesperson Kim Hyun-jung met with reporters that day and stated, “The People Power Party's boycott of the personnel hearing automatically adjourned it,” and emphasized, “If the report is not adopted, the Democratic Party will have no choice but to proceed with the confirmation vote.”

He further explained, “After the 29th, it can be placed on the agenda of the plenary session by authority, and the processing is likely to take place on June 30 or July 3-4.” The spokesperson strongly criticized the recent turmoil, stating, “This chaos goes beyond hindering government affairs to being an act of election denial.”

With 167 seats in hand, the Democratic Party is currently in a position to process the Prime Minister's confirmation motion unilaterally in the National Assembly without the consent of the People Power Party. However, such a forced proceeding is expected to place significant pressure on the principle of 'cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties' emphasized by the Lee Jae-myung administration.

Candidate Kim stated on his Facebook on that day, “Though I have fulfilled my public responsibilities amid the harshness of life, I feel sorry for the areas where I still fall short in meeting the public's expectations.” He expressed, “As the first Prime Minister candidate of the Lee Jae-myung administration, I feel the heavy responsibility. I am determined to become a chief strategist who will overcome the crisis in people's livelihoods and usher in the era of a great Korea.”