Acting PM presides over Cabinet meeting

SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- Acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho presided over a Cabinet meeting Tuesday amid lingering uncertainties over the National Assembly's confirmation of Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo.

The opposition-controlled parliament has yet to endorse Han for the job of prime minister.

In South Korea, the prime minister is the only Cabinet post that requires parliamentary approval. A parliamentary confirmation hearing committee of the DP has declared Han "unqualified," citing his post-retirement career at a law firm and other suspicions of irregularities.

After the Cabinet session, Choo held a separate meeting with ministers and vice ministers related to the June 1 local elections and parliamentary by-elections.

Choo urged officials to maintain political neutrality ahead of the elections, while pledging to provide support for ensuring integrity and security in the electoral process.

In particular, Choo noted the mishandling of ballots of COVID-19 patients and other blunders during early voting for the March presidential election and vowed not to repeat such mishaps in the upcoming elections.

In early March, the election watchdog came under fire following revelations virus patients and people under self-isolation were not allowed to put their votes into ballot boxes, and election officials instead collected them in plastic bags and other unofficial containers.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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