By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Rep. Park Jin of the ruling Grand National Party is at odds with party floor leader Hong Joon-pyo over the chairmanship of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee.
Hong and other party leaders unveiled a list of candidates they drafted for the 11 standing committees assigned to the party. Supreme council members confirmed the list.
The lineup drew criticism from several lawmakers including Park, a leading voice in foreign affairs and diplomacy in the National Assembly.
Park told The Korea Times that he is interested in the chairman post, but that his name was not on the list.
He and other party lawmakers said they question the selection process since it was not merit-based, urging a competition for the posts.
Hong said a competition will be held next week to select the 11 chairmen, adding those who lose the competition will be ineligible to join committees whose chairmanships they ran for.
Park and his colleagues say they are irritated by Hong's comments, calling them inappropriate. They also said Hong is using his muscle to discourage them from running.