조국 인사청문회 6일 개최 합의.... 법사위 의결 진통
After weeks of wrangling,... floor leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties agreed to set a new date for justice minister nominee Cho Kuk's confirmation hearing.
It will be held on Friday.
However, the lawmakers on the judiciary committee are still at odds over whether to call in witnesses to testify.
Kim Min-ji has the latest from parliament.
A confirmation hearing for justice minister nominee Cho Kuk is set to be held this Friday.
The decision was reached between the floor leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties on Wednesday,... following weeks of wrangling.
"It is the responsibility of the National Assembly to hold a confirmation hearing. There have been a lot of differences among us, but we agreed to hold the hearing to fulfill our duty."
A hearing initially scheduled for Monday and Tuesday was called off because of disagreements over whether members of Cho's family would be present to testify.
Instead, Cho held an unprecedented press conference at the National Assembly on Monday where he denied allegations against him and his family,... such as making suspicious investments in a private equity fund and his daughter receiving preferential academic treatment.
Cho welcomed Wednesday's decision,... vowing to prepare thoroughly for his hearing and clarify all allegations.
"I will explain myself honestly at the confirmation hearing. I will tell lawmakers what I know... and I will also apologize for any missteps."
But hurdles remain.
Despite the date being set,... the parliament's judiciary committee has to reach a consensus on the specifics of the confirmation hearing.
Rival lawmakers on the committee are at odds over whether to summon witnesses,... despite the lack of time.
Some opposition lawmakers also see the confirmation hearing as pointless,... as the presidential office is expected to push ahead with Cho's appointment, regardless of the hearing.
They're instead calling for a parliamentary investigation and a special counsel probe to look into the allegations raised against the candidate.
Prosecutors have launched an investigation of their own,... carrying out raids on dozens of locations.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
