SEOUL– The National Assembly on Monday adopted confirmation hearing reports for minister nominees for defense, oceans and agriculture, a day before President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol takes office.
The parliamentary defense committee unanimously approved the nomination of Defense Minister nominee Lee Jong-sup following last week’s hearing, saying he has leadership, and plenty of experience and expertise on national defense policies and military operations.
Lee, a former three-star Army general, graduated from the Korea Military Academy and served as the Joint Chiefs of Staff vice chairman from 2017 to 2018.
Hearing reports were also passed for Oceans Minister nominee Cho Seung-hwan, former head of the Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology Promotion, and Agriculture Minister nominee Chung Hwang-keun, an experienced bureaucrat who has served in the agriculture ministry since 1985.
Seven out of a total of 18 Cabinet nominees, including the three and minister nominees for finance and labor, have now gained parliamentary approval.
Source: Yonhap News Agency