I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
Petition filed against probe of hospital closure
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Hong Joon-pyo, the governor of South Gyeongsang Province, lodged a petition with the Constitutional Court, demanding it review whether the National Assembly’s planned investigation into his decision to close Jinju Medical Center was constitutional.
In the unprecedented petition filed against the Assembly, the conservative governor claimed the investigation was unconstitutional because the provincial government has jurisdiction over the medical center.
The local government requested the court to rule which side has the authority to make the decision on the fate of the center. The court must rule on the case within 60 days after receiving the petition.
During a briefing, Jeong Jang-soo, a public affairs official at South Gyeongsang Province, said the Assembly intruded on the exclusive jurisdiction of the provincial government over the local facility.
Its petition came days before the legislature is to start investigating a decision to shut down the debt-ridden public medical institute.
Earlier, Hong announced the closure of the loss-making medical center. It has 28 billion won in outstanding debt.