Kim Min-seok's Prime Ministerial Confirmation Hearing Concludes… Representative Joo Jin-woo Attracts Attention as 'Hearing Star'
The National Assembly's confirmation hearing for Kim Min-seok, the Prime Minister nominee, concluded at midnight on the 26th. The People Power Party conducted a rigorous verification process over two days, but they could not draw out a decisive 'blow' that would lead to Kim's downfall.
The presidential office reportedly organized an internal stance stating that "there are no grounds for his downfall," while the Democratic Party is in a mood of 'passing without issues.' The Justice Party also seems inclined not to obstruct the nomination.
Is the 'Hearing Star' Joo Jin-woo, Not Kim Min-seok?
The surprising focus of attention during this hearing was not Kim, but rather Representative Joo Jin-woo from the People Power Party. He brought up key issues regarding Kim's wealth, children's academic admissions, and financial matters, placing himself at the forefront of the hearing, ultimately drawing public interest toward himself.
In particular, the process by which Joo accumulated his approximately 7 billion won wealth, as well as the background regarding his 20-year-old son possessing around 700 million won in assets, were spotlighted online. The fact that his father was a public security prosecutor and that his military exemption was due to 'acute hepatitis' also stirred doubts among internet users.
Such reactions were clearly reflected in comments on the live-streamed YouTube channel of the hearing. Thousands of comments expressing skepticism were made, such as, "Did Joo Jin-woo get exempted from military service?" "Is it true he likes to drink despite being exempted for hepatitis?" and "With a son having 700 million in assets, isn't he a 'gold spoon'?"
"Is This My Confirmation Hearing?"… Joo Expresses Frustration
On the final day of the hearing, Joo publicly expressed dissatisfaction, stating that questions from the Democratic Party seemed aimed at him.
He asked Kim, "Mr. Nominee, is this my confirmation hearing? Is it my hearing?" and added, "Isn't this too much? If you see this as false information, please report me. I do not think it is false at all," he stated strongly.
This remark correlates with previous comments from Democratic Party Representative Park Sun-won, who mentioned that "there are politicians who received military exemption due to acute hepatitis." While Park did not specify anyone, Joo perceived it as an attack against him and reacted strongly.
He demanded an apology from Park, questioning whether it was appropriate to publicly mention an individual's illness, which further deepened the emotional rift between the parties.
Public Interest Shifts from 'Prime Minister Nominee' to 'Themselves'
Even after the hearing concluded, public interest seems to be more pronounced regarding Representative Joo Jin-woo than Kim Min-seok.
Particularly, issues surrounding military service and asset declarations are directly related to trust in public officials, leading online discourse to escalate from simple debate to demands for clarification of suspicions.
The approval status of Kim is expected to be decided in the plenary session soon, either through a solo vote by the ruling party or some cooperation from the opposition party. However, a paradoxical situation has arisen where the name highlighted through this hearing is that of a ruling party member, not the nominee.
Image source: Representative Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party / News1, Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok / News1, News1
