DPK Pushes to Adopt Confirmation Report; PPP Warns 'If Appointed, We Take to the Streets'

[Anchor]

The clash between the ruling and opposition parties over the appointment of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won is growing increasingly fierce. The Democratic Party plans to push for the adoption of the parliamentary confirmation hearing report as early as today (September 17), while the People Power Party has warned that it will take to the streets in protest if the appointment goes ahead.

Kim Jin-woo reports.

[Reporter]

Democratic Party members of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee rallied to defend the nominee yesterday, stating that the confirmation hearing confirmed Kim Seung-won as the "right person for justice administration".

[Kim Ki-pyo / Democratic Party Lawmaker: The nominee responded faithfully based on data and facts. No critical disqualification that would impede the performance of duties was identified [1.2.8].]

The Democratic Party asserted that the hearing turned into a stage for political bickering rather than an evaluation of competency due to groundless claims by the People Power Party.

Conversely, the People Power Party raised its voice calling for Kim's disqualification, arguing that the confirmation hearing proved he is the "worst Justice Minister nominee in history".

[Jeong Jeom-sig / People Power Party Floor Leader: The nominee's remarks referring to his background in the humanities serve as evidence confessing to an illegal solicitation [1.1.6]. Finding it difficult even to make excuses, they traded tears and reduced the hearing to a melodrama.]

PPP Leader Jang Dong-hyeok said in a phone call with SBS, "If the ruling bloc pushes ahead with appointing Kim, we plan to launch an all-out struggle, including street protests."

The People Power Party is expected to decide on staging outdoor protests after holding a public rally at the National Assembly on September 22 to publicize what it calls government misadministration.

The confirmation hearing for Kim, conducted without a single witness or expert testimony, concluded around midnight two nights ago, drawing public criticism as a "slipshod vetting process" mired in partisan warfare.

While the Democratic Party plans to push for the adoption of the confirmation hearing report as early as today, reaching a bipartisan agreement appears unlikely amid the intense standoff.

In that case, the president may specify a period of up to 10 days and request the National Assembly to resubmit the report; if that also falls through, the president can proceed with the appointment.

Video by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing by Lee Seung-jin
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.