MOON REQUESTS CONFIRMATION HEARING REPORTS

[Anchor Lead]

President Moon Jae-in has requested the National Assembly to re-send him the confirmation hearing reports on minister-designates. The deadline for adopting confirmation hearing reports has expired. The rival parties discussed the matter but failed to narrow their differences.

[Pkg]

Cheong Wa Dae has requested the National Assembly to re-send reports on the confirmation hearings of minister nominees for science, oceans and fisheries, and land. The deadline set by President Moon Jae-in is Friday. The National Assembly now has more time to discuss the matter. The president has apparently requested the reports because he has no intention to withdraw his picks. Rival parties have failed to reach an agreement even after marathon talks on Tuesday. The ruling party wants the prime minister-nominee to be approved first, while the opposition camp insists on doing it in conjunction with the other nominees.

[Soundbite] Yun Ho-jung(DP floor leader) : "The post of the prime minister cannot stay vacant even for one day. Let's not mix this with the nomination of other ministers."

[Soundbite] Kim Ki-hyeon(PPP floor leader) : "I hope you will understand that this is not only about the prime minister.　The personnel issue must be handled by the National Assembly at once."

The ruling party can process the matter on its own, but things seem to be quite complicated within the DP. Two days ago, some party members called for cancelling the nominations. Some influential party members demanded that the nominations of the ministers of science and oceans and fisheries be withdrawn. Others called on the party leadership to make a final call. After Friday, the president will be able to appoint ministers regardless of whether the confirmation hearing reports are adopted or not. If Cheong Wa Dae goes ahead with the appointments, there will be 32 ministers in total that were appointed by the incumbent administration without the opposition party's consent.