Lee Jae Myung’s Cabinet Picks Under Fire: Confirmation Hearings Begin!

President Lee Jae Myung’s Cabinet nominees are set to face rigorous scrutiny from the National Assembly beginning July 14.

In preparation for the upcoming confirmation hearings, the main opposition People Power Party established a dedicated committee on Tuesday. The party announced that experts from various fields will be brought in to provide external input and expertise.

Rep. Song Eon-seog, the People Power Party’s floor leader, voiced concerns that the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the Lee administration might attempt to rush nominations through before they can be thoroughly vetted.

To date, Lee’s most controversial Cabinet appointment has been Rep. Kim Min-seok, who took office as prime minister on Monday. This occurred despite intense opposition questioning surrounding alleged violations of campaign finance laws and scrutiny over the sources of his wealth.

On Tuesday, the National Assembly greenlit proposals for confirmation hearings for three key Cabinet positions: defense minister, science minister, and oceans minister.

For the role of defense minister, Lee has tapped five-term Rep. Ahn Gyu-back, who served as his top adviser during the presidential campaign. This nomination aligns with Lee’s campaign pledge to appoint a civilian without a professional military background to lead the Ministry of National Defense.

As of now, Ahn does not appear to face any significant hurdles to his confirmation. He is scheduled to appear before the National Assembly for his hearing on July 15.

Bae Kyung-hoon, a corporate artificial intelligence expert nominated to be Lee’s minister of science and ICT, will face his confirmation hearing on July 14. Lee’s choice of Bae, who previously led LG’s AI strategies, reflects the president’s emphasis on artificial intelligence as a key focus area.

Also slated for July 14 is the hearing for Rep. Chun Jae-soo, Lee’s pick for minister of oceans and fisheries. Chun, a three-term Democratic Party lawmaker representing Busan, aligns with the president’s plans to relocate the Oceans Ministry headquarters to the port city.