Rival parties clash as confirmation hearings begin for Cabinet nominees

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SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly began confirmation hearings for three Cabinet posts Tuesday, with rival parties locking horns over illegal lobbying allegations involving the justice minister nominee.

At the center of attention is the hearing for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, who has come under fire over allegations that he illegally lobbied the food and drug safety ministry in 2021 to help win approval for a COVID-19 treatment.

"I apologize for causing concerns to the public over allegations surrounding myself," Kim said at the hearing. "I will faithfully answer each lawmaker's questions today and explain in detail any claims that are inconsistent with the facts."

The hearing got off to a rocky start even before lawmakers began questioning Kim, as rival parties exchanged barbs over allegations involving a social cooperative for people with developmental disabilities where Kim's wife works.

Kim Seung-won, the nominee for the new justice minister, takes an oath at the outset of his parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on Sept. 15, 2026. (Yonhap)

Lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) have questioned whether he is fit to serve as justice minister, also taking issue with his involvement in a group of ruling party lawmakers demanding the criminal indictments facing President Lee Jae Myung be dropped.

The ruling Democratic Party, meanwhile, accused independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon of leaking investigative material in a politically motivated attack, questioning how he obtained information known to a limited number of people within the prosecution.

Han has released a series of phone conversation transcripts and recordings between the nominee and a broker, claiming that Kim had exercised undue influence on the food and drug safety ministry.

The National Assembly also began confirmation hearings for Finance Minister nominee Lee Hyoung-il and Lee So-young, nominee for minister for small and medium-sized enterprises, both of whom face separate controversies over real estate issues.

Cabinet nominees are subject to parliamentary confirmation hearings, but their appointments do not require parliamentary approval.

julesyi@yna.co.kr (END)

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Rival parties clash as confirmation hearings begin for Cabinet nominees

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首尔，9月15日（韩联社）——韩国国会周二开始对三个内阁职位进行确认听证，各反对党就司法部长提名人涉嫌非法游说一事展开激烈争论。

此次听证会的焦点是法务部长官提名人金承元的听证会。金承元因被指控在 2021 年非法游说食品药品安全部，以帮助获得新冠肺炎治疗药物的批准而受到抨击。

金在听证会上说：“对于围绕我的指控给公众带来的担忧，我深表歉意。今天，我将如实回答每位议员的提问，并详细解释任何与事实不符的说法。”

听证会一开始就陷入僵局，甚至在议员们开始质询金某之前，对立双方就涉及金某妻子工作的残疾人社会合作社的指控互相指责。

2026年9月15日，金承元（Kim Seung-won）在首尔国会举行的国会确认听证会上宣誓就职，他是新任法务部长的提名人选。（韩联社）

主要反对党国民力量党（PPP）的议员们质疑他是否适合担任司法部长，并对他参与执政党议员要求撤销对总统李在明的刑事指控一事提出异议。

与此同时，执政的民主党指责独立议员韩东勋出于政治动机泄露调查材料，并质疑他是如何获得检方少数人才知道的信息的。

韩公布了一系列被提名人与经纪人之间的电话对话记录和录音，声称金某对食品药品安全部施加了不正当影响。

国民议会也开始对财政部长提名人李亨日和中小企业部长提名人李素英进行确认听证，两人都因房地产问题面临不同的争议。

内阁提名人选需经议会确认听证，但其任命无需议会批准。

julesyi@yna.co.kr (完)

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