Seoul: The National Assembly will conduct a confirmation hearing for Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun on July 17, as per officials' announcement on Monday. In addition, a separate hearing for Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young is scheduled for July 14.
According to Yonhap News Agency, while cabinet appointments necessitate parliamentary hearings, they do not require approval to assume office. The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to continue discussions ahead of the hearings, as there is ongoing debate over the list of witnesses to be summoned.
Cho Hyun, a seasoned diplomat, previously served as both the first and second vice ministers from 2017 to 2019 under the liberal administration of former President Moon Jae-in. Meanwhile, Chung Dong-young is a journalist-turned-experienced lawmaker who held the position of unification minister during the Roh Moo-hyun administration from 2004 to 2005. He led the now-suspended joint industrial complex project with North Korea in Kaesong and was sent as a special envoy to Pyongyang for a direct meeting with the then North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il.