Yoon optimistic about National Assembly's confirmation of PM nominee

SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday expressed hope that the opposition-controlled National Assembly would endorse his nominee for prime minister, Han Duck-soo, according to lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP).

Yoon said there was "no big problem" about the prospect of a parliamentary confirmation of Han, according to the PPP lawmakers who traveled with Yoon to the southwestern city of Gwangju for a ceremony marking the anniversary of a 1980 pro-democracy uprising earlier in the day.

Yoon told the PPP lawmakers that the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) would suffer a backlash if it rejects Han.

A plenary session of the National Assembly will take place on Friday to vote on Han's nomination. The DP holds the ultimate say on whether to confirm him because the party has 167 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly.

In South Korea, the prime minister is the only Cabinet post that requires parliamentary approval.

The DP's confirmation hearing committee declared Han as "unqualified," citing his post-retirement career at a law firm and other suspected irregularities.

But some members have expressed concerns that the disapproval could create a negative image of the DP ahead of the June 1 local elections, with criticism that the party is hindering the operation of the new government.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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