Appointment Standoff

[Anchor Lead]

The presidential office is planning to push ahead with the appointment of Kang Kyung-wha as foreign minister following its appointment of Kim Sang-jo as Fair Trade Commission chief. The opposition warned of a stern response, vowing there would be no more cooperation in state affairs if the top office goes ahead with the appointment.

[Pkg]

Rival parties failed to adopt a report on the results of a confirmation hearing for Foreign Minister nominee Kang Kyung-wha by the Wednesday deadline. The Cheong Wa Dae extended the deadline and asked yet again for the national assembly to adopt the report. The presidential office noted that parliamentary hearings are only a procedure of reference for the president to consider in exercising personnel rights, expressing its intent to appoint Kang as the top diplomat even without a report adopted, given pending issues such as the upcoming Korea-US summit. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party, which boycotted Wednesday morning's hearing session to protest the appointment of Fair Trade Commission chief Kim Sang-jo, warned of an even stronger response if Kang's appointment is pushed through.

[Soundbite] Chung Woo-taik(Acting Chairman, Liberty Korea Party) : "If Foreign Minister nominee Kang Kyung-wha's appointment is pushed through, our party will step up our level of response."

The People's Party and Bareun Party are also adamant that there will be no cooperation in state affairs if the Cheong Wa Dae moves ahead with its appointment of Kang.

[Soundbite] Park Joo-sun(Interim Committee Chief, People's Party) : "If the appointment is pushed ahead, the People's Party will have no option but to take on the role of a stern opposition party."

The Cheong Wa Dae, however, has demonstrated its intent to directly face the parliamentary impasse. As a result, sharp partisan confrontation is expected in the remaining confirmation schedules of Cabinet nominees as well as in the passage of a supplementary budget bill.