PM-nominee grilled at hearing

Prime Minister-nominee Lee Nak-yon answers a question during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Lee supportive of inter-Korean private exchanges

By Kim Hyo-jin

The opposition parties started a tough two-day confirmation hearing on Prime Minister-designate Lee Nak-yon, Wednesday, raising various allegations including one concerning his son’s exemption from military service.

On the first day of the hearing, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and the minor opposition People’s Party focused on pounding the minister nominee about alleged flaws involving his family members.

However, this ended up as a mere political offensive, according to commentators, with no particular grounds for the disqualification of Lee himself.

The nominee is expected to be endorsed without much difficulty, given the People’s Party whose support base is the Jeolla region is less likely to veto the former South Jeolla governor when voting on the nomination, party officials said.

The 120-member ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) can meet the requirements to pass an endorsement motion, a majority of the 299 sitting lawmakers, with the backing of the 40-seat second-biggest opposition party.

Opposition lawmakers repeatedly put Lee on the defensive, accusing his son of evading military service in 2002.

“A shoulder dislocation is the most common practice used to evade military service. It’s also suspicious that your son had made efforts to prove the poor condition of his body, voluntarily submitting hospital documents beforehand,” said Lee Tae-kyu of the People’s Party.

Lee responded by saying his son got a serious shoulder injury two to three months before the physical examination, and though he wanted to be re-examined later, it was impossible because he went through several operations for a pituitary tumor.

“It’s painful to hear accusations about my son. He underwent seven surgeries, suffering from being put under general anesthesia each time,” he said.

“I was a spokesman for the Democratic Party at the time, and was at forefront of attacking the Grand National Party’s presidential candidate for his son’s alleged evasion of military duty. If I had the same issue with my son, the rival party would have not let it go.”

Rep. Khang Hyo-shang of the LKP accused Lee of avoiding gift tax, saying 40 million won ($35,460) given to his son to help rent a house after his marriage was subject to taxation.

Lee answered that it was gift money from guests at the wedding; but Khang insisted it belonged to Lee and his wife.

The ruling party lawmaker also pushed Lee on why the Jeonnam Development Corp, a public organization based in the region Lee was later elected to govern, purchased two of his wife’s paintings at her exhibition in 2013, alleging that this was due to his influence.

Lee responded, “I realize that just because I have held a public position, misunderstandings can easily arise. My wife has promised to not hold any exhibitions while I’m in a public post.”

The LKP lawmakers also sought to verify Lee’s perspective on North Korea and policy direction in dealing with the isolated country.

When asked if the North should be viewed as the main enemy by Rep. Park Myung-jae, Lee said, “The Defense White Paper states it is an enemy, not the main enemy. It is for sure that the North is a major enemy militarily but the prime minister can’t just view it that way.

Lee cautiously appreciated the Sunshine Policy of the liberal governments from 1998 to 2008. “I believe it opened a brand-new path in approaching North Korea,” he said. “But I think its operation should be flexible depending on the situation.”

Lee said he would support a resumption of inter-Korean private exchanges and aid. “I think we need to review exchange and aid plans from the position that they do not clash with international sanctions.”

President Moon Jae-in nominated Lee as his first prime minister soon after his inauguration, a move that reflected his stress on national unity.

Later, the parties agreed to table the endorsement motion for a vote during a plenary session May 31 after the two-day hearing.