Likelihood of Chang's approval uncertain

The National Assembly's two-day confirmation hearing on the acting prime minister, Chang Dae-whan, is scheduled to begin Monday; the assembly's decision will be an-nounced Wednesday.

The outlook for the hearing is murky, as most Grand National Party legislators and a few members of the Millennium Democratic Party strongly oppose confirming Mr. Chang.

The Grand National Party, which holds a majority in the assembly, plans to question Mr. Chang on issues including the financial resources used to purchase real estate and the false residence registration of his children's. Mr. Chang will be also be grilled on the alleged preference provided by the government to Maeil Business Newspaper, of which Mr. Chang was president and publisher.

"Mr. Chang is not appropriate as a prime minister, since his statesmanship is lacking and he has violated many laws in the course of increasing his property," insisted the Grand National Party's Hong Joon-pyo.

Another Grand National Party legislator, An Kyung-ryul, added that Mr. Chang and his wife are suspected of tax evasion in the acquisition of 12 real estate properties worth 6.5 billion won ($5 million).

The Millennium Democratic Party is arguing that Mr. Chang must be allowed to take office, lest the government be paralyzed and the party lose its hegemony.

"It is true that several morality issues are being questioned," said Sul Hoon of the Millennium Democratic Party, but he continued that there is no decisive flaw to disqualify Mr. Chang as prime minister.

But even within the Millennium Democratic Party, some lawmakers said the party should not defend immoral actions by Mr. Chang.

The Blue House is trying to persuade the lawmakers to cooperate with the government for the sake of the country and the economy.

by Lee Sang-il, Song Sang-hoon