[Anchor]
The two-day National Assembly confirmation hearing for Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook has concluded. On the second day, yesterday (June 26), the main point of contention remained the real estate issue. The opposition party raised questions about the process of the nominee selling her officetel, while the ruling party countered that such claims were mere speculation.
Reporter Park Jae-yeon has the story.
[Reporter]
This was the second day of the National Assembly confirmation hearing for Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook.
Lawmakers from the People Power Party questioned the nominee, pointing out that she had rented out her officetel in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, to the owner of a hair salon she frequented at one-third of the market rate, and subsequently sold it at a bargain price. They demanded to know the nature of their relationship and whether it constituted preferential treatment.
[Kim Hee-jung / People Power Party lawmaker: What kind of acquaintance could it be to receive such preferential treatment that would be difficult to get even between siblings? Is this an indirect gift? Is there a reason? I looked into her background, and it turns out she was in charge of the First Lady...]
The lawmakers suspected a quid pro quo, citing the salon owner's media interview where she claimed to have been in charge of Kwon Yang-sook, the wife of former President Roh Moo-hyun. Nominee Han bristled at the accusations, calling them excessive and explaining that she simply lowered the price because the property would not sell.
[Han Seong-sook / Prime Minister nominee: So, what kind of compensation could I possibly receive from a hair salon owner?]
Lawmakers from the Democratic Party also criticized the People Power Party, asking, "Do we really need to know whose hair the tenant styled?" and adding, "The level of this hearing is embarrassing."
[Lee So-young / Democratic Party lawmaker: Do we have to waste this confirmation hearing time with leaps in logic and speculation that even an elementary school student wouldn't make?]
In the Democratic Party, the World Cup even became a topic of conversation during the hearing, with one lawmaker making the following remark.
[Park Sun-won / Democratic Party lawmaker: (Nominee Han) is like Hiddink, which is why our President selected her.]
Following the confirmation hearing for Prime Minister Kim Min-seok last June, the hearing for nominee Han was also held without a single witness or reference person due to a failure to reach an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, leading to criticism that sharp verification was absent.
The National Assembly is expected to complete the confirmation process, including the adoption of the hearing report, before June 30, followed by a vote on the appointment. Since the appointment passes with a majority of those present, it can be approved by the Democratic Party alone.
Reported by Park Jae-yeon | Video by Oh Young-chun and Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Kim Jin-won
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