South Korea's presidential office Friday decided to withhold its request for parliament's confirmation hearing of the new national police chief-designate as pressure mounts for the nominee to withdraw after the death of several squatters in a clash with police, according to Yonhap News.
The decision, however, does not mean the presidential office has decided to abort its nomination of Kim Seok-ki, a spokesman for Cheong Wa Dae told reporters.
"The delay is not because the government decided not to send its confirmation request to the National Assembly, but because he did not have time to prepare all his documents amid the chaos," the spokesman, Lee Dong-kwan, was quoted as saying.
"Even if we are unable to submit our request today, it will have nothing to do with his status," he said, adding the final decision on the nomination will only come after the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
Five protesters and a police officer were killed in a fire that erupted as special police forces raided a building rooftop to disband squatters staging a sit-in to demand more compensation over a land redevelopment project.
Kim, the incumbent head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was tapped this week to head the National Police Agency in a high-level shakeup that also included nominations for unification and finance ministers, as well as the head of the National Intelligence Service.
Confirmation requests for all three other nominees will be submitted Friday, according to the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman.
Kim has come under immense public pressure to quit his nomination and even resign from his current post as he gave authorization mobilizing special police forces to break up the sit-in just over 24 hours after it began.
Angry protest rallies followed the death of the squatters while opposition legislators charge the tragedy is a result of excessive and premature use of force.
"There must be a thorough investigation as to why this has happened and efforts to bring those responsible to justice," the head of the main opposition Democratic Party, Rep. Chung Sye-kyun, said, urging the government to immediately withdraw its nomination of Kim and sack public administration minister Won Sei-hoon.
The presidential office concurs on a detailed investigation and accountability but indicated a full probe must precede any punitive actions.