By Lee Min-hyung
Opposition parties are stepping up criticism on "overlapping schedules" between confirmation hearings for five minister nominees and the inter-Korean summit next week.
On Tuesday, the National Assembly confirmed schedules for confirmation hearings for the five minister nominees of defense, industry, education, labor and gender equality. The hearing schedule falls in line with the three-day-long inter-Korean summit from Sept. 18.
The criticism came as the upcoming inter-Korean summit will draw the spotlight away from the confirmation hearing where lawmakers plan to question a series of suspicions the nominees are facing.
It is difficult for the Assembly to change the hearing timeline due to hectic pre-arranged schedules this month, such as the six-day-long interpellation session for the President Moon Jae-in administration which begins on Thursday.
On top of that, a four-day Chuseok holiday starts on Sept. 23, blocking the Assembly from engaging in any major schedules during the national holiday.
Rep. Yoon Young-seok of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) expressed regret over the government's notification about the timeline of the inter-Korean summit without prior discussion with the Assembly.
This came a day after the Moon administration asked for Assembly leaders to join the upcoming inter-Korean summit. The Assembly members rejected the proposal on Monday.
"The Moon administration is arbitrary in that it did not give any prior notice about the invitation only a week before the summit," Yoon said in a statement Tuesday.
Cheong Wa Dae should have offered to pre-arrange the summit schedule with the National Assembly for the latter to fine-tune other schedules _ such as the confirmation hearing, according to him.
"This is a politically-motivated action," he said. Before officially inviting the lawmakers to the summit, officials from Cheong Wa Dae should have contacted the Assembly to discuss their schedules, he said.
