Both ruling, opposition parties chide budget minister nominee over lack of documents on allegations

▲ Lee Hye-hoon, the nominee for the minister for planning and budget, speaks during her parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on Jan. 23, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

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Both ruling, opposition parties chide budget minister nominee over lack of documents on allegations

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- Both ruling and main opposition parties on Friday scolded the budget minister nominee Lee Hye-hoon at a confirmation hearing for failing to submit sufficient documents related to allegations surrounding her and her family.

During the confirmation hearing, Lee came under intense scrutiny over claims that she improperly secured a pre-sale deal to buy a luxury apartment as well as questions surrounding her real estate dealings and her three sons' college admissions and military service records.

Rep. Choi Eun-suk of the main opposition People Power Party said Lee's claim that she had submitted 75 percent of the requested documents is a "sheer lie," while Rep. Chung Il-young of the ruling Democratic Party urged the nominee to submit documents related to a memo containing controversial material tied to her past election campaigns.

Lee is accused of securing the right to purchase a luxury apartment unit in southern Seoul in July 2024 by listing her eldest son -- who had already held a wedding ceremony at the time -- as unmarried, allegedly to increase the number of dependents and raise her chances of winning the subscription.

Under the current system, applicants for newly built apartments must obtain subscription rights based on multiple criteria, including the number of family members and the length of time they have been without a home.

Lee defended herself by saying her eldest son and his wife were experiencing severe marital difficulties after their wedding in December 2023 and had not registered their marriage at the time.

"At the time, we believed it would be difficult to maintain that marriage," she told lawmakers.

When asked whether she would sell the apartment in question, Lee said she would "follow the results of investigations by relevant authorities."

During the hearing, Lee, a former three-term lawmaker from the conservative bloc, also apologized for her past remarks in support of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid in December 2024.

"I will continue to apologize until people say it is enough," she said.

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