[News Today] PM nominee grilled at hearing

[LEAD]
Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok faces another day of confirmation hearings at the National Assembly. During the first hearing, lawmakers from the People Power Party zeroed in on his income sources and the process behind his master's degree.

[REPORT]
The two rival parties clashed from the very start of Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok's confirmation hearing.

The main opposition People Power Party focused on the allegations over the nominee's income source and education expenses for his child.

Kwak Kyu-taek/ Special Committee on Confirmation Hearing (PPP)
Judging by the income reported over the 5 years, about KRW 800 mn came from sources outside of his salary.

Joo Jin-woo/ Special Committee on Confirmation Hearing (PPP)
Where did your eldest son get the money to pay for his tuition at Cornell?

The nominee claimed that his ex-wife had paid for his son's overseas education expenses...

and revealed that he received about 600 million won or around 441 thousand dollars through condolence money, book launches, and assistance from his in-laws.

Kim Min-seok/ Prime Minister nominee
The collected amount does not overly exceed the socially acceptable level.

The ruling Democratic Party defended Kim by emphasizing that he had paid off all court-ordered fines.

Jeon Yong-gi / Special Committee on Confirmation Hearing (DP)
The condolence money and the profit from book sales at publication events were both used to pay the fines.

The two opposing parties also clashed over how he had obtained a masters degree from Tsinghua University in China.

Kim Hee-jung/ Special Committee on Confirmation Hearing (PPP)
You stayed in China for 4 days in total yet you earned 25 credits.

Kim Min-seok/ Prime Minister nominee
Unlike your calculation, I stayed there for a total of 148 days.

Kim made many scathing remarks against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

Chai Hyun-il/ Special Committee on Confirmation Hearing (DP)
What do you think is the biggest reason behind the fall of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration before its time?

Kim Min-seok/ Prime Minister nominee
Because they did things that brought ruin on themselves.

The nominee said he has deep security concerns over the existence of North Korea's nuclear weapons and their highly advanced level.

Kim answered that Korea's national debt-to-GDP ratio, which stands at around 48%, was 20 to 30%. He also couldn't give an answer when asked about the size of this year's budget.

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