Confirmation hearing for Lee's budget minister pick falls into disarray

Budget Minister nominee Lee Hye-hoon (Yonhap)

The National Assembly's confirmation hearing for Lee Hye-hoon made little progress Monday, serving only as a stage for rival parties to butt heads over the controversial budget minister nominee.

Rival parties locked horns over whether to proceed with the confirmation hearing on Monday, as opposition parties claimed that prerequisites agreed upon the previous week had not been fulfilled. The bipartisan decision to hold the hearing on that day was made on the understanding that Lee would provide explanations in response to written inquiries submitted by lawmakers concerning controversies related to her.

At a meeting of the National Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee -- held to open the confirmation hearing -- Rep. Park Soo-young of the conservative People Power Party said nominee Lee had answered only 15 percent of some 2,200 inquiries. Based on the two parties' agreement, he added, the hearing should be postponed due to Lee's inadequate response.

Rep. Chun Ha-ram of the minor conservative Reform Party said the confirmation hearing should not be a place to exonerate Lee, adding that submitting documents in good faith should be a prerequisite.

The conservative lawmakers' reactions echoed Strategy and Finance Committee chair Rep. Lim Lee-ja's statement not to convene the hearing. On Friday, Lim said the confirmation hearing was "not worth holding" while claiming that Lee intended to file complaints against lawmakers who submitted inquiries about her.

The 61-year-old nominee, who was formerly a conservative lawmaker and was picked by liberal President Lee Jae Myung, could not enter the confirmation hearing before it was adjourned. Following the adjournment, the nominee said she was "preparing to submit as many documents as possible" for the hearing, adding that she had responded to about 75 percent of all inquiries.

The liberal presidential office has long touted Lee Jae Myung's pick of a conservative figure as a move to achieve social unity. The conservative main opposition People Power Party decried the nomination, saying Lee had betrayed the party to advance her own career, and compared her to Koreans who collaborated with Japan during its imperial rule from 1910-45.

She has since been under fire for accusations including alleged illicit attempts to buy presale homes, nepotism and bullying allegations. Her children's ability to pay the significant tax liabilities on company shares received as gifts from her has also been questioned.

Despite such controversies, the liberal bloc has defended the presidential nomination.

Rep. Park Hong-keun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said the nominee's failure to give timely responses to lawmakers' inquiries "does not mean a confirmation hearing should be boycotted." Rep. Jung Tae-ho of the same party also laid the blame on the opposition party, criticizing it for "lacking a willingness to hold the hearing."

Under South Korean law, the parliament's failure to hold a confirmation hearing and adopt the confirmation report on the nominee does not necessarily render Lee's nomination ineligible for presidential approval.