[Anchor]

Atmosphere inside Cheong Wa Dae suggests that President Lee Jae-myung will soon appoint Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won to the post. President Lee is also expected to address controversies surrounding the cabinet reshuffle at a press conference tomorrow, September 18.

Reporter Park Yerim has the details.

[Reporter]

Following the National Assembly's adoption of the confirmation hearing report for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, Cheong Wa Dae is placing weight on the expectation that President Lee Jae-myung will proceed with Kim's appointment.

A Cheong Wa Dae official told SBS, "The adoption of the confirmation hearing report was entirely the National Assembly's decision," adding, "We believe the allegations raised against nominee Kim were clarified to some extent during the confirmation hearing process."

Although the confirmation report was passed solely by the ruling party, Cheong Wa Dae appears to have considered that the likelihood of the main opposition People Power Party agreeing to adopt the report was low from the start.

Regarding Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to head the inaugural Major Crime Investigation Agency, whose appointment is opposed by hardliners on prosecution reform within the broader ruling camp, Cheong Wa Dae has launched "additional vetting." Meanwhile, President Lee is reportedly expected to send a formal request for a confirmation hearing for nominee Kim to the National Assembly soon.

This is seen as a judgment that nominating another candidate would be unreasonable, especially with the agency scheduled to launch next month on October 2.

However, Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae fiercely attacked nominee Kim again today, calling him a "minion of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration," while Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Yong-min demanded that the nomination be withdrawn.

President Lee is expected to address controversies surrounding the cabinet reshuffle, including the voluntary withdrawal of Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in, during his press conference to the public tomorrow morning.

With Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoon-sik reportedly pondering his future following the recent resignation of former presidential policy chief Kim Yong-beom, attention is also focused on whether President Lee will announce plans for a Cheong Wa Dae reorganization.

There is also a possibility that President Lee will clarify his stance on controversies regarding the dismissal of indictments and a constitutional amendment to permit consecutive presidential terms. Troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz and investment in the United States are also expected to be key topics at tomorrow's press conference.

Video by Jeong Sang-bo and Ha Ryong | Video Editing by Lee Seung-hee | Graphics by Lee Jong-jeong