By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The National Assembly confirmed the nomination of Prime Minister-designate Han Seung-soo during a plenary session Friday.
However, it is still unclear whether minister-designates will get Assembly approval of their nominations.
Of the 270 lawmakers attending the session, 174 voted in favor of the nomination while 94 opposed it ― one vote was undecided and one invalidated.
The confirmation vote had been delayed as the liberal United Democratic Party (UDP) claimed Han was unsuitable for the position.
Han, a U.N. special envoy on climate change, was accused of dubious wealth accumulation and criticized for his daughter's U.S. citizenship.
The Assembly was scheduled to vote on the nomination of the first prime minister under the Lee Myung-bak government on Monday but the UDP alliance with the minor opposition Democratic Labor Party (DLP) postponed the voting.
The liberal party had insisted on the cancellation of the appointment but reached a compromise after three other questionable minister nominees withdrew.
The party was also worrying that its hardline stance could backfire in the upcoming Assembly elections because it could be perceived as an attempt to hinder the new government.
Therefore, before the session began, party leaders decided to let lawmakers vote freely on the nomination, and did not set any party line.
``Despite the fact that Han has several flaws, we made the decision not to be an obstacle to the new government,'' UDP spokesman Choi Jae-sung told reporters.
Even after the withdrawal of the three the nominees, the UDP is insisting on the removal of the ``unqualified'' Health Minister-designate Kim Soung-yee. He has been a major target of criticism because of allegations he diverted public funds for his personal use while in charge of the Youth Protection Committee in 2001.
Furthermore, his daughter benefited from health insurance coverage here for several years in spite of her U.S. citizenship.
Justice Minister Nominee Kim Kyung-han was also accused of having amassed property worth $6.3 million, far beyond his means as a career civil servant.
UDP lawmakers raised suspicion over his accumulation of his fortune through real estate speculation and underpayment of inheritance taxes.
If parties fail to narrow differences over the nomination of ministers, President Lee will have to wait about 20 more days before formally completing his new Cabinet.