The National Assembly will hold a confirmation hearing Monday for President Park Geun-hye's new pick for health minister.

Chung Chin-youb, a professor at Seoul National University hospital in Bundang, just south of Seoul, has been named to lead the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The nominee is required to go through the confirmation hearing, though the National Assembly's approval is not necessary for his appointment.

Opposition lawmakers are expected to grill the orthopedics professor over his morality and ability to head the ministry that came under fire for its poor response to the outbreak of the MERS virus.

Current Health Minister Moon Hyung-pyo, who would be replaced by Chung, has been criticized as a non-expert in medicine and complacent to the spread of the deadly disease.

On July 28, South Korea declared a de facto end to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which has killed 36 South Koreans. (Yonhap)