Rival Parties Clash Sharply Ahead of Kim Seung-won's Confirmation Hearing

[Anchor]

Following the resignation of Representative Yong Hye-in, the People Power Party has launched an all-out offensive against Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won. As the Democratic Party moves to defend him, tomorrow's confirmation hearing for nominee Kim is set to take place.

Reporter Kim Jin-woo has the details.

[Reporter]

During a Supreme Council meeting this morning, the People Power Party once again directly targeted Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, who is facing allegations including lobbying for the approval of new drug clinical trials.

Regarding the resignation of Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in, and political rumors of a scenario dubbed "Kim-Saeng-Yong-Sa"—meaning nominee Kim is protected while nominee Yong is dropped—the People Power Party dismissed them as "absurd."

[Jang Dong-hyeok / People Power Party Leader: They sucked the blood of stock investors through corrupt lobbying for pharmaceutical favors. They formed a family association and their entire family bled public funds dry. Are they planning to present the public, ahead of Chuseok, with a comprehensive set of crimes?]

The People Power Party emphasized that the Democratic Party's defense of nominee Kim is ultimately to secure a "cancellation of indictment," and announced that it will concentrate its dispersed firepower on nominee Kim.

The Democratic Party criticized the opposition, arguing that the verification of nominee Kim has shifted away from evaluating his competence and qualifications toward a competition over who can raise the most sensational allegations.

Making it clear that it will not back down against the People Power Party's offensive, the party stated that it will respond firmly and sternly at the party level to groundless, fabricated attacks.

[Hahn Byung-doo / Democratic Party Floor Leader: Raising groundless suspicions against the nominee and digging into his family's personal lives are also problematic. Repeating hit-and-run allegations a hundred times cannot turn false agitation into verification.]

With the People Power Party vowing to keep up its offensive by repeatedly raising suspicions leading up to the upcoming Chuseok holiday, and the Democratic Party confronting what it calls unfair public manipulation with a hardline stance, tomorrow's scheduled confirmation hearing for nominee Kim is expected to serve as a major turning point for the future political landscape.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Video Reported by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video Edited by Seunghee)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.