The ruling and opposition parties clashed during the confirmation hearing for Minister candidate Jeong Dong-young. The Democratic Party of Korea criticized the Yoon Suk-yeol government's North Korea policy, asserting that Jeong is the right person for the position, while the People Power Party pointed out concerns regarding Jeong's violation of agricultural land laws and allegations of conflicts of interest related to solar power legislation, questioning his morality.
The National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held a confirmation hearing for Jeong on the morning of the 14th. The People Power Party, which is launching a 'downfall offensive' regarding the appointments from the Lee Jae-myung government, highlighted the allegations against Jeong concerning violations of agricultural land laws.
Kim Ki-hyun, a People Power Party lawmaker, said, "The candidate engaged in fictitious residency for agricultural land acquisition and violated public officials' property registration laws by not declaring ownership of agricultural land." He added, "Given that he submitted a misleading agricultural management plan, one might wonder if there was pressure to obtain the land authorization."
He emphasized, "The candidate must apologize to the public and acknowledge wrongdoing. A person who has committed theft should not become a minister, and a person who illegally acquires and converts agricultural land should not become a minister either."
Yoo Yong-won, a member of the same party, pointed out, "The candidate's spouse owns a solar power company, and their two sons hold interests in at least four companies. Nevertheless, in March, the candidate proposed a special law to significantly simplify the approval process for solar power installations as a member of the National Assembly."
In contrast, the Democratic Party defended the previous government's North Korea policy. Lee Jae-jung, a Democratic Party lawmaker, stated, "Given the situation of inheriting the Ministry of Unification, which seemed to exist to block unification under the Yoon Suk-yeol government, I question whether there is such a suitable candidate." He noted that Jeong is a candidate who collaborated on significant initiatives during his previous tenure as Minister, including various inter-Korean events and the construction of the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
Hong Gi-won, another lawmaker from the same party, referenced Jeong's tenure as Minister during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and commented, "The candidate has accomplished much in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula and improving North-South relations, and during these challenging times, he truly seems to be the right candidate."
There was also a dispute regarding the submission of materials for Jeong's confirmation hearing. Kim Gun, a People Power Party lawmaker, stated, "The candidate failed to submit 331 out of 1,334 material requests," questioning whether it is correct to conduct the hearing adequately to receive public verification. In response, Kim Young-bae, a Democratic Party lawmaker, rebutted, "It is problematic that they focus solely on inflating suspicions as if there are issues, despite the candidate being fully capable of providing explanations."