On September 21, the ruling Democratic Party and the opposition People Power Party clashed in the Judiciary Committee and the Industry, Trade, and Energy Committee over the selection of witnesses for the upcoming national audit. However, the Land and Transport Committee successfully adopted a confirmation report for Hong Ji-sun, the nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
During a full committee meeting, the Judiciary Committee decided to summon Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae for the national audit scheduled for next month. In protest against this decision, all committee members except for the committee's secretary, Park Hyung-soo, from the People Power Party, boycotted the meeting. Park also left the meeting after expressing that Cho's appearance would undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Democratic Party Chairperson Seo Young-kyo insisted, "The request for Chief Justice Cho's appearance is based on Article 121 of the National Assembly Act. We will demand his presence on October 6," and proceeded with the adoption. Seo mentioned the possibility of summoning Cho as a general witness and stated, "We will decide on this through an agreement between the ruling and opposition secretaries by the 28th."
The Industry Committee also failed to reach an agreement on the list of witnesses for the national audit, leading to a disruption. The People Power Party reportedly requested the attendance of several key figures, including Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, former Blue House Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, regarding the development of a semiconductor cluster in Honam.
Although there was a possibility of discussing the confirmation report for Lee So-young, the nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, based on the results of negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties, the full committee meeting was canceled, postponing any related discussions.
In contrast, the Land and Transport Committee held a full meeting and adopted the confirmation report for Hong Ji-sun. However, the People Power Party included a note of disqualification regarding Hong in the report. People Power Party member Yoo Ui-dong, chair of the Land and Transport Committee, stated, "While I believe Hong will fulfill the ministerial role based on her high understanding and field experience, the lack of sufficient documentation during the confirmation hearing and instances of policy failures indicate a lack of capability, which is reflected in the disqualification opinion."
During a full committee meeting, the Judiciary Committee decided to summon Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae for the national audit scheduled for next month. In protest against this decision, all committee members except for the committee's secretary, Park Hyung-soo, from the People Power Party, boycotted the meeting. Park also left the meeting after expressing that Cho's appearance would undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Democratic Party Chairperson Seo Young-kyo insisted, "The request for Chief Justice Cho's appearance is based on Article 121 of the National Assembly Act. We will demand his presence on October 6," and proceeded with the adoption. Seo mentioned the possibility of summoning Cho as a general witness and stated, "We will decide on this through an agreement between the ruling and opposition secretaries by the 28th."
The Industry Committee also failed to reach an agreement on the list of witnesses for the national audit, leading to a disruption. The People Power Party reportedly requested the attendance of several key figures, including Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, former Blue House Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, regarding the development of a semiconductor cluster in Honam.
Although there was a possibility of discussing the confirmation report for Lee So-young, the nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups, based on the results of negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties, the full committee meeting was canceled, postponing any related discussions.
In contrast, the Land and Transport Committee held a full meeting and adopted the confirmation report for Hong Ji-sun. However, the People Power Party included a note of disqualification regarding Hong in the report. People Power Party member Yoo Ui-dong, chair of the Land and Transport Committee, stated, "While I believe Hong will fulfill the ministerial role based on her high understanding and field experience, the lack of sufficient documentation during the confirmation hearing and instances of policy failures indicate a lack of capability, which is reflected in the disqualification opinion."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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