Boycott leaves Lee confirmation hearing half-finished

Jan 20, 2026, 08:16 am

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Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties speak during the confirmation hearing for Lee Hye-hoon, nominee for minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, at the National Assembly’s Planning and Finance Committee on Jan. 19. / Photo by Song Eui-joo

The confirmation hearing for Lee Hye-hoon, nominee for minister of economy and finance, collapsed Monday after the opposition People Power Party boycotted the session, leaving what critics dubbed a “half-finished hearing.”

President Lee Jae-myung’s plan to project national unity and economic expertise by tapping a conservative figure was overshadowed by mounting allegations and the absence of opposition lawmakers.

The immediate trigger was a dispute over document submissions. Park Soo-young, the opposition’s floor coordinator, said only about 15% of the 2,187 requested documents had been submitted—an unusually low rate even by confirmation-hearing standards, where some non-disclosure is common for privacy reasons.

Particular scrutiny centered on the source of funds for an apartment at Banpo Raemian One Pentas. Park said no documents were provided on financing for what he called a “lottery apartment,” adding that original funding plans were missing and that questions about taxes paid on intra-family transfers and related financial records remained unanswered.

Park Soo-min of the People Power Party also raised allegations of “digital record erasure,” claiming the nominee deleted all social media accounts—including Facebook, YouTube and blogs—after her nomination. He argued that removing records of past statements undermined the public’s right to know.

Tensions escalated after Lee suggested legal action against lawmakers who raised allegations. Committee Chair Lim Yi-ja said there was “no value in holding a hearing for a nominee who threatens to sue legislators for doing their oversight.” Cheon Ha-ram of the New Reform Party said Lee had tried to intimidate him by mentioning a criminal referral over a memo-related allegation. Lee later issued a statement apologizing, saying her wording had been excessive while expressing her frustration.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea pushed back, citing precedent. Park Hong-geun said previous nominees under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration had also submitted incomplete materials, yet hearings proceeded. Lawmaker Jung Tae-ho said 73% of materials eligible for submission had been provided and argued that the hearing should have gone forward to allow questioning.

The boycott left the hearing stalled, intensifying political fallout over transparency and parliamentary oversight.

#Lee Hye-hoon #confirmation hearing #National Assembly #Planning and Finance Committee #People Power Party