Anchor: The opposition-dominated National Assembly has decided to hold confirmation hearings for three Constitutional Court justice nominees starting Monday. The decision comes as rival political parties remain at odds over the appointment of new justices to the nine-member bench. 
Our Bae Joo-yon has more. 

Report: A special parliamentary committee on confirmation hearings for Constitutional Court justice nominees held a meeting on Wednesday, with only the opposition camp’s lawmakers in attendance. 

Initially, Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig of the ruling People Power Party(PPP) was supposed to head the special committee, but the main opposition Democratic Party(DP) moved to assign the top post to its own Rep. Park Jie-won after ruling camp lawmakers boycotted Wednesday’s meeting. 

Participants approved a plan to hold confirmation hearings for the three justice nominees over two days starting Monday. 

The main opposition is planning to push forward motions to approve the nominees’ appointments during a plenary session on Friday next week, even if the PPP fails to take part in the confirmation hearings.

The DP is seeking to promptly fill the vacancies so the court can proceed with President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial under a full bench. 

The party’s floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said at the special committee meeting that the longer Yoon’s impeachment trial takes, the uneasier the country will become. 

The ruling PPP is adhering to the position that it is impossible for acting President Han Duck-soo to appoint a Constitutional Court justice while the president is suspended from his duties and has not vacated his post.

The ruling camp also has expressed dissatisfaction with an earlier agreement with the opposition to have recommendations for two of the three justices come from the opposition camp.
Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.