Blue House asks for a confirmation hearing

The presidential office on Friday submitted a request for a parliamentary confirmation hearing for Prime Minister-designate Lee Nak-yon to the National Assembly, accelerating efforts to round out a new Cabinet.

Following the submission, the legislature is to complete the confirmation process within 20 days.

Securing a parliamentary endorsement for Lee is seen as a crucial part of President Moon Jae-in’s efforts to form the new government, as he can pick ministers through a prime minister’s recommendations.

The Blue House plans to send a request for a separate hearing on National Intelligence Service chief-nominee Suh Hoon early next week, senior presidential secretary for public relations Yoon Young-chan told reporters.

On Wednesday, Moon announced his picks for the two top government posts. The prime minister’s office has set up a team to prepare for Lee’s hearing. The team consists of five divisions in charge of policy, personal vetting, political affairs, publicity and administrative affairs.

Moon’s Democratic Party once pushed for a legal revision to allow the prime minister-nominee to exercise the recommendation authority, but the move failed as critics argued that it runs counter to the Constitution.

Yonhap