PM Nominee Lee remains in seclusion for 2 consecutive days

Prime Minister Nominee Lee Wan-koo remained in seclusion for two consecutive days on Friday after finishing his parliamentary confirmation hearing sessions on Wednesday. Even regarding a National Assembly vote on the approval of his appointment as the prime minister, Lee is also reportedly refraining from contacting colleague lawmakers to the extent possible not to cause unnecessary misunderstanding.

According to sources at the ruling Saenuri Party on Friday, as the process for approval of his appointment at the National Assembly was put off on Thursday, intensifying controversy over his qualifications, Lee reportedly told some of his confidants, “I am sorry for the current situation. It`s all my bad.”

Instead of coming to his office in Seoul’s Jongno district, he is reportedly staying mostly at his residence to put himself together. “I understand he has no plan to come to the office for the time being,” said a source at the prime minister’s office. “I expect he will seek to learn roles and issues related to the prime minister’s office while taking rest.”

It is reported that Lee has not set any external schedules, and expressed his intention to avoid contacting his colleague lawmakers until the vote on approval of his appointment scheduled on Monday. “I heard that he recently has been self-reflecting, even by intentionally avoiding watching TV news or reading newspapers,” said an aid to the prime minister nominee.

Lee did not make comments on "joint public poll by the ruling and opposition parties" on his appointment either, which opposition leader Moon Jae-in proposed on Friday.