National Assembly Confirms Prime Minister's Appointment

The National Assembly voted on the appointment of Lee Han-dong as prime minister on June 29 at the general assembly. Votes were cast by 272 out of 273 lawmakers. The proposed appointment was approved with 139 votes in favor - 51.1 percent - and 130 votes against. There were two blank ballots and one invalid vote.

President Kim Dae-jung conferred his letter of appointment upon Prime Minister Lee Han-dong in the afternoon. Premier Lee, the thirty-third prime minister, was the first to be approved through a hearing at the National Assembly in constitutional history.

The ruling and opposition parties each held general assemblies in order to prevent any votes seceding from the party line. However, at least three of 133 Grand National Party lawmakers voted against the party line which opposed Lee's appointment.

A plenary session of the National Assembly resolved to promote the reunion of families separated by the Korean War as soon as possible. The resolution embraces direct talks between the National Assembly and North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly on measures for humanitarian issues including the reunion of dispersed family members.

However, rows broke out between lawmakers in a special commission for the appointment of the justice of the Supreme Court. The Millennium Democratic Party insists that the commission chair should be elected by all parties while the Grand National Party argues that the chairperson should be nominated by the majority party.

by Lee Yang-soo