Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
Saenuri Party to use majority to get PM motion passage
By Jun Ji-hye
The ruling Saenuri Party has marshaled all but three of its lawmakers who are eligible to cast a ballot to pass a confirmation vote on embattled nominee for Prime Minister, Lee Wan-koo.
The party said Sunday that 155 of its total 158 lawmakers will attend the National Assembly plenary session for the vote. If all Saenuri Party members vote along partisan lines and back Lee’s nomination, the party will achieve a majority with seven votes to spare.
Assembly custom dictates that Lee, as the nominee, will refrain from voting.
The two other absentees are Reps. Song Kwang-ho and Cho Hyun-yong, who are facing charges of corruption.
The vote will most likely be held Monday after Speaker Chung Ui-hwa pledged to do so under any circumstances. However, it cannot be ruled out that the opposition will attempt to physically block the vote from taking place, or that the ruling party could relent in fear of a public backlash.
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) may also boycott the vote, but it is numerically impossible for it to thwart the Saenuri Party motion.
The National Assembly has a total of 295 lawmakers after the five members of the now-dissolved Unified Progressive Party lost their seats following a ruling by the Constitutional Court in December.
At least 148 lawmakers are needed to participate in the vote.
The Saenuri Party even recalled Reps. Choung Byoung-gug and Kim Yong-nam, who are visiting Israel, as well as Rep. Chung Doo-un who is in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, floor leader Rep. Yoo Seong-min has sent text messages to lawmakers to encourage them to attend the session.
The vote was initially scheduled for Thursday.
At that time, the ruling party moved to pass the motion unilaterally by drawing up a report of Lee’s confirmation hearing without the agreement of the opposition.
The vote was then postponed until Monday after arbitration by Speaker Chung.
“Parties’ wasteful wrangles should be terminated Monday to put the parliamentary system back on a normal track,” said ruling party spokesman Rep. Park Dae-chul. “The NPAD should cooperate to abide by the promise made by Chairman Moon Jae-in to work toward improving economic conditions for ordinary people.”
The NPAD has few options but has yet to decide its best course of action.
The opposition party hopes that Lee will voluntarily decide to withdraw from consideration before the vote takes place.
“If the ruling party pushes ahead with an endorsement of this nominee for prime minister, the ruling party, President Park Geun-hye and Lee will not be able to spare themselves the public’s wrath,” said Rep. Seo Young-kyo, NPAD spokeswoman.
However, Lee is unlikely to give up the nomination.
The former Saenuri floor leader is determined to become the prime minister, and the ruling camp has already committed to a reshuffle in the Cabinet and of the presidential staff following approval of Lee’s nomination.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye