Uphill Assembly Hearing

[Anchor Lead]

The three biggest opposition parties have all lined up to oppose President Moon’s choice to lead the foreign ministry. They’ve concluded that nominee Kang Kyung-wha is unfit for the position of Foreign Minister, and decided not to adopt a report on her confirmation hearing. The biggest blow for Kang has been the opposition of the People's Party, which is seen as holding a casting vote.

[Pkg]

The Liberty Korea Party continued to attack each nominee as the confirmation hearings continued on. The largest opposition party said all three nominees were unfit for their posts, namely the nominees for chief justice of the Constitutional Court, Kim Yi-su, for Foreign Affairs Minister Kang Kyung-wha, and for Fair Trade Commission chief, Kim Sang-jo. The party demanded that President Moon Jae-in withdraw the nominations. The conservative party even reported Kim Sang-jo to the prosecution for the alleged illegal hiring of his wife as a high school instructor.

[Soundbite] Chung Woo-taik(Liberty Korea Party) : "If the nominations are pushed forward, we will be left with no choice but to declare the end of our political cooperation."

The People's Party held a general assembly meeting and hotly debated whether each nominee is fit to serve. The party members concluded that Kang Kyung-wha was unfit in terms of both morality and qualifications and refused to adopt a report on her confirmation hearing. As the People's Party with the casting vote turned its back on Kang, it became very unlikely that a report on her confirmation would be adopted.

[Soundbite] Choi Myung-gil(People's Party) : "She doesn't have enough experience or qualification as a foreign minister, who must quickly resolve issues between Korea and China."

Meanwhile, with some members of the People's Party disapproving of Kim Yi-su, the nominee's fate now hinges on the party 's final decision.