Decision on appointments of justice, gender ministers to be made after confirmation hearings: official

Seoul, September 10 (Yonhap) -- A presidential spokesperson announced on Thursday that the fate of the nominations for Justice Minister and Gender Equality Minister will be determined following their confirmation hearings. Senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, Seong Ghi-hong, made this announcement during an interview on MBC radio regarding Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won and Gender Equality Minister nominee Yong Hye-in.

Both nominees were selected by President Lee Jae Myung as part of a recent Cabinet reshuffle. Kim has faced scrutiny over allegations of illegal lobbying of the food and drug safety ministry in 2021 for a COVID-19 treatment, while Yong has faced criticism for not relinquishing her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly after her ministerial appointment.

The presidential office plans to decide on the appointments with the public in mind once the nominees have undergone the confirmation process, according to Seong. He emphasized the importance of listening to the nominees' perspectives during the formal question-and-answer session. Seong also stated that the allegations against Kim regarding his lobbying activities are unlikely to have been overlooked during the vetting process, as Kim is a two-term lawmaker who underwent a prosecution investigation but was not indicted.

Regarding Yong's refusal to give up her parliamentary seat, Seong stated that it is a matter for the nominee to address during the confirmation hearing. Lastly, Seong reiterated that the government has not yet made a final decision on the United States' request for South Korea to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz. The government is considering various options, such as technical assistance, along with the possibility of troop deployment.