Seoul: The National Assembly will conduct confirmation hearings for several key ministerial nominees, with the hearing for Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun scheduled for July 17, officials announced Monday. This hearing follows the confirmation for Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young, which is set for July 14. While parliamentary hearings are mandatory for cabinet appointments, they do not require approval for the nominees to assume their roles.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ruling and opposition parties have agreed to continue discussions prior to the hearings, as there remains disagreement over the list of witnesses to be summoned. Cho Hyun is a seasoned diplomat who previously served as both the first and second vice ministers during the tenure of former President Moon Jae-in between 2017 and 2019.
Chung Dong-young, the nominee for Unification Minister, is a veteran lawmaker with a background in journalism. He held the position of unification minister under President Roh Moo-hyun from 2004 to 2005. During his tenure, Chung played a pivotal role in the now-halted joint industrial complex project with North Korea in Kaesong and was a special envoy to Pyongyang, where he met with the then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
In addition to these hearings, Bae Kyung-hoon, the former head of LG AI Research, has been nominated as the minister for science and ICT, with his confirmation hearing also scheduled for July 14. The National Assembly will further conduct a hearing for Industry Minister nominee Kim Jung-kwan on July 17. Kim previously served as a president responsible for marketing at Doosan Enerbility Co., a leading Korean power equipment company, before being nominated as the first industry minister under the Lee Jae Myung administration.