Ruling and Opposition Parties to Clash at Hearings Today: Confirmation Hearings for Lee Hyoung-il, Kim Seung-won and Lee So-young
- Input
- 2026-09-15 08:42:23
- Updated
- 2026-09-15 08:42:23
[Financial News] The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea will hold confirmation hearings on the 15th to vet nominees appointed in the second Cabinet reshuffle of the Lee Jae Myung administration.
Confirmation hearings are scheduled for Lee Hyoung-il, nominee for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy; Kim Seung-won, nominee for Minister of Justice; and Lee So-young, nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups.
The ruling and opposition parties are expected to engage in fierce exchanges over real-estate controversies and allegations of soliciting favors involving the nominees.
The hearing drawing the most attention is Kim Seung-won's, as he faces allegations that he solicited favors to secure approval for clinical trials of a new COVID-19 drug.
The People Power Party has called for a parliamentary investigation and a special counsel investigation, arguing that the suspension of indictment in the case was an improper prosecutorial decision. Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has also led efforts to spread the allegations by releasing related recordings almost daily.
The Democratic Party of Korea, however, maintains that there are no grounds for Kim Seung-won's rejection unless new evidence emerges proving that the alleged solicitation involved an exchange of favors. It has counterattacked Han Dong-hoon, alleging that he illegally received investigative materials from prosecutors.
The ruling and opposition parties are also expected to clash at Lee So-young's confirmation hearing. The key issue is controversy over profits from an apartment in Hongje-dong, Seoul, which was classified as a one-home property whose owner did not reside there.
Regarding Lee Hyoung-il, the People Power Party is expected to press him on his positions on major economic policies, including the approximately 100 trillion won Future Response Fund and the government's tax reform plan.
[email protected] Song Ji-won Reporter