South Korea to decide justice and gender minister appointments after hearings amid controversy

Seong Ghi-hong, the senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, stated that South Korea will wait for the confirmation hearings before deciding on the controversial nominees for justice and gender equality ministries. The justice minister candidate, Kim Seung-won, is under scrutiny for alleged illegal lobbying of the Food and Drug Safety Ministry to secure approval for a COVID-19 treatment in 2021.

The gender equality minister candidate, Yong Hye-in, has drawn criticism for refusing to vacate her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly after being named to the cabinet. Seong said the administration will consider the nominees' responses during the formal question-and-answer sessions before reaching a verdict. He added that the government has not yet concluded how to respond to the United States' reported request for South Korean troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, keeping options such as technical assistance on the table.