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| ▲ Koo Yun-cheol, nominated by President Lee Jae Myung as the finance minister, speaks during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly on July 17, 2025. (Yonhap) |
parliament-minister nominees
Nat'l Assembly adopts confirmation hearing reports for foreign, finance, industry minister nominees
By Yi Wonju
SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Friday adopted confirmation hearing reports for the foreign, finance and industry minister nominees, clearing the way for President Lee Jae Myung to fill the posts.
Parliamentary committees approved the nomination of Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun, Industry Minister nominee Kim Jung-kwan and Finance Minister nominee Koo Yun-cheol.
While Cabinet appointments are subject to parliamentary hearings, minister nominees can take their post without lawmakers' approval.
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) had initially refused to adopt the hearing reports for Lee's inaugural Cabinet picks but later said it agreed to cooperate with the confirmation of the three ministers ahead of South Korea's tariff negotiations with the United States.
During a party meeting, PPP interim leader Song Eon-seog said the decision was made to ensure that the minister nominees can be immediately involved in the tariff talks with the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Washington would wait until Aug. 1 to impose 25 percent tariffs on imported South Korean goods, providing extra time for Seoul to negotiate a deal.
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