[Anchor]
As negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties over adopting witnesses for the confirmation hearing effectively fell through, next week's confirmation hearing for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won is expected to proceed without any witnesses. Meanwhile, Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon exchanged sharp attacks over suspicions surrounding the nominee.
Reporter Ha Jeongyeon has the story.
[Reporter]
During yesterday's (September 9) session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, lawmakers from both sides clashed without finding common ground regarding the adoption of witnesses for the confirmation hearing of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won.
The People Power Party demanded that 44 witnesses be summoned, including Kang Se-chan, the founder of Genencell who is linked to the "Ministry of Food and Drug Safety solicitation allegations," a person surnamed Yang identified as a broker, and former Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Minister Kim Kang-lip. In response, the Democratic Party countered that the case had already been concluded by the prosecution's suspension of indictment, insisting that not a single witness could be accepted.
[Park Hyung-su / People Power Party Lawmaker: It is our duty to resolve public suspicions. Yet you intend to run a hollow hearing without a single witness?]
[Kim Eui-kyeom / Democratic Party Lawmaker: If they are trying to bring back a failed case and endlessly repeat it, shouldn't that be unacceptable?]
According to the National Assembly Hearing Act, attendance request notices must be delivered five days prior to the hearing—meaning by midnight yesterday—to legally enforce attendance. As the gap could not be narrowed during additional negotiations overnight, nominee Kim's hearing will effectively take place without witnesses.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok launched consecutive attacks on independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who has been releasing transcripts related to nominee Kim, stating that such actions could not happen without an accomplice inside the prosecution, and ordered legal action yesterday.
Twisting Han's past nickname from his days as a prosecutor,
[Kim Min-seok / Democratic Party Leader: Wouldn't it be more accurate to call him a 'rogue prosecutor of Joseon' or a 'rogue pair of craft scissors of Joseon'?]
Lawmaker Han hit back, calling it "Leader Kim's groundless assumption" and stating he would take legal action for the dissemination of false information.
[Han Dong-hoon / Independent Lawmaker: (Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok) asserted with his own groundless assumption that I received materials from the prosecution. I solemnly state that I have never received any materials from the prosecution, nor have I ever cooperated with the prosecution.]
Nominee Kim's confirmation hearing will be held on the 15th.
(Photo: Yonhap News) (Video Reporting: Oh Young-chun, Lee Seung-hwan | Video Editing: Park Sun-su)
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