Cheong Wa Dae: Ministerial nominees must answer at hearings before final decision

Cheong Wa Dae said it would make a final decision on ministerial nominees Kim Seung-won and Yong Hye-in only after hearing their explanations during National Assembly confirmation hearings. Both nominees are embroiled in controversy over their qualifications. On the recent controversy over a possible troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, it drew a clear line, calling reports on the matter premature. It also again shrugged off speculation that President Lee Jae Myung was seeking constitutional reform to extend his term, saying such a move is constitutionally impossible.

Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public communication, addressed the controversy surrounding the two ministerial nominees on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" on Thursday. Asked about the position that the matter should be watched until the confirmation hearings conclude, Sung said, "There are two stages in the process of appointing senior public officials." He explained, "The stage in which the president, who holds the power of appointment, nominates a candidate is an internal process aimed at finding the right person for the right post, while the hearing process is a time for the nominee to personally answer the various questions, allegations and problems raised by the public."

"I believe we need to hear what the nominee has to say through the formal question-and-answer procedure of the hearing," Sung said. "After that process is complete, Cheong Wa Dae plans to make its judgment based on various factors, including how the public perceives the matter."

Sung strongly rebuffed media reports suggesting the government had firmed up its stance on deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz. "These reports are getting far ahead of things," he said. "The issue of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz has been an important concern not just for our country but for every country since the outbreak of the war, but there are various options for how to make a responsible international contribution, and no final decision has been made on a specific approach."

Sung made clear that President Lee's remarks at a meeting with overseas Koreans in France on Wednesday — in which Lee said "my term is clearly limited under the Constitution" — confirmed the administration's position that a constitutional amendment to allow a second term is not on the table. "Because the president's term is already limited under the constitutional order, what is being discussed as a possible second term is simply impossible and not even a matter that can be considered," Sung said, explaining how he interpreted the president's remarks.

On the inclusion of a provision granting the special prosecutor the power to withdraw indictments in the "fabricated indictment special prosecutor act" proposed by the Democratic Party of Korea, Sung suggested the focus should remain on the substance of the issue. "I believe the Democratic Party will make its own judgment on this," he said, but added, "I understand the focus of this matter is on what was unlawful in the indictment process itself, regarding the allegation of a fabricated indictment. I think it would not be desirable for this to be overly framed as being about the president, as if the law were made for that purpose."