Lee Jin-sook, the nominee for Minister of Education. /Yonhap News
The ruling and opposition parties are holding a parliamentary confirmation hearing for the first set of minister nominees under the Lee Jae-myung administration, entering the third day of candidate verification.
On the 16th, the National Assembly will conduct confirmation hearings for three nominees: Lee Jin-sook, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Jeong Seong-ho, Minister of Justice, and Kim Young-hoon, Minister of Employment and Labor, in each respective standing committee.
Particularly, debates are expected between the ruling and opposition parties during Lee’s hearing.
The main opposition party, the People Power Party, plans to focus its attack on Lee, raising suspicions of plagiarism and thesis appropriation involving her students. In contrast, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is expected to defend Lee, anticipating that she will thoroughly clarify the related suspicions during the hearing.
Democratic Party incumbent lawmaker Jeong Seong-ho is facing allegations of purchasing land in a border area and then promoting legislation to support development in that region. Questions concerning professional expertise are expected to be directed at Kim Young-hoon, a former railway engineer, by opposition lawmakers.