Yoon requests parliamentary confirmation of PM nominee

SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday requested parliamentary confirmation of his nomination of Han Duck-soo as prime minister.

Han, a former prime minister and trade expert, was named as the first prime minister of the incoming government on Sunday.

A request for his confirmation was filed with the National Assembly on Thursday, a parliamentary staffer said.

By law, confirmation hearings must be completed within 20 days of the request being submitted, meaning the Assembly has until April 26 to finish the proceedings.

Unlike other Cabinet members, the president cannot appoint a prime minister without the parliament's approval.

Since his nomination, Han has come under fire for his work from 2002 to 2003 as an adviser for a local law firm that represented the scandal-hit U.S. private equity firm Lone Star at the time.

He has denied he was involved in Lone Star-related issues when he worked for the law firm.

Lone Star acquired the Korea Exchange Bank in 2003 before selling it in 2012 for a huge profit, leading to criticism it took advantage of the country's economic difficulties in the wake of the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s.

Han, 72, has held a number of high positions in government, including finance minister, prime minister under former President Roh Moo-hyun and ambassador to the United States. In those capacities, he played a key role in negotiating a free trade agreement with the U.S.

hague@yna.co.kr
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