Presidential office to ask parliament to hold hearing on culture minister nominee

The presidential office plans to ask the parliament Monday to hold a confirmation hearing on President Park Geun-hye's choice to be the new culture minister, an official said.

The move came a day after Park nominated Kim Jong-deok, a professor of visual design at Seoul's Hongik University, as the culture minister, the last post of her new Cabinet.

Park conducted a major Cabinet shake-up in June to try to regain public confidence in her administration rocked by April's deadly ferry disaster.

The presidential office plans to submit the request for a confirmation hearting to the National Assembly later in the day, presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook told reporters.

The request is a routine process for a confirmation hearing widely seen as a formality.

In South Korea, all Cabinet nominees must undergo a parliamentary confirmation hearing, but the National Assembly cannot block their appointment.

The president is empowered to appoint nominees without the consent of the National Assembly after confirmation hearings, even if the parliament believes they are unfit for the jobs.

The prime minister is the only Cabinet post that requires parliamentary approval.

The parliament has yet to hold another confirmation hearing for Park's choice to be the education minister. (Yonhap)