Seoul: The National Assembly is set to hold a series of confirmation hearings for several key minister nominees, with the defense minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back's hearing scheduled for July 15, officials announced Tuesday. Ahn, a five-term lawmaker, has been nominated as President Lee Jae Myung's first defense minister. Notably, he is the first civilian in 64 years to be selected for this position, which has traditionally been occupied by retired military generals. Although parliamentary hearings are mandatory for Cabinet appointments, they do not require formal approval for the appointments to take effect.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the confirmation hearing for Education Minister nominee Lee Jin-sook is slated for July 16. The hearing will include testimony from the head of the research ethics committee at Chungnam National University regarding allegations of research misappropriation involving the nominee. Lee made history in 2020 by becoming the first female president of a regional national university when she was appointed as president of Chungnam National University.

In addition to these hearings, the National Assembly will conduct a confirmation hearing for Oceans Minister nominee Chun Jae-soo on July 14. Prior to his nomination, Chun was in his third term as the sole ruling Democratic Party lawmaker representing a district in Busan, a city known as a stronghold for the main opposition People Power Party.