Office of the President: “Normalization of the National Assembly First”
Wild: “President Yoon is the one who needs to normalize”
With internal “Should have attended and shown willingness to cooperate”
Opposition Party “Government Possible Martial Law Planning” Offensive… Presidential Office “Opposition Party Leader Spreading Rumors”
22nd National Assembly ’96 days longest delayed opening ceremony’
On the afternoon of the 2nd, at the opening ceremony of the 22nd National Assembly held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik (left speaker’s seat) and ruling and opposition party lawmakers are taking the oath of office. President Yoon Seok-yeol did not attend the opening ceremony. This is the first time since the democratization in 1987 that a president has not attended. The ruling and opposition party leaders who met the previous day evaluated that the first step toward cooperation was taken that morning, but the presidential office, the ruling party, and the opposition party clashed head-on over the Democratic Party’s claim of “martial law preparation” from the first day of the regular session. Newsis
President Yoon Seok-yeol did not attend the 22nd National Assembly opening ceremony held on the 2nd, the day after the ruling and opposition party leaders’ meeting. This is the first time since the democratization in 1987 that a president has not attended the opening ceremony. The presidential office stated, “The normalization of the National Assembly, which is rampant with martial law and abusing special prosecutors and impeachment, must come first.” On the other hand, the Democratic Party of Korea countered, “It is President Yoon who must be normalized.” Within the ruling People Power Party, there were also criticisms that “the opposition party is largely to blame, but President Yoon should have attended the opening ceremony to preemptively demonstrate his will to cooperate with the National Assembly.”
On this day, the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties publicly stated about the previous day’s meeting, “We have agreed to restore politics and focus on the people’s livelihood” (People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon) and “We have had considerably advanced conversations and reached a consensus” (Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung), evaluating it as “the first step toward restoring politics.” However, on this day, the first day of the September regular session, following leader Lee the day before, the Democratic Party raised the suspicion of preparations for martial law, and the presidential office and the ruling and opposition parties clashed head-on just one day after the meeting of the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, raising concerns that “Aren’t we throwing away this hard-earned opportunity for cooperation?” The opening ceremony on this day was held 96 days into the 22nd National Assembly term after extreme confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties. It is the longest delayed opening ceremony.
On that day, a senior official at the Blue House responded sharply in a phone call to the reason for President Yoon’s absence from the opening ceremony, saying, “Is this the National Assembly that we should be celebrating the opening of when the opposition party has been unilaterally dominating and even enacting legislative dictatorship as soon as the 22nd National Assembly began its term? This is the worst National Assembly since democratization.” On the other hand, the Democratic Party said in a commentary, “No matter how severe the conflict between the ruling and opposition parties has been, the president has attended the opening ceremony,” and “No excuse can cover up the dishonor of constitutional history since democratization in which a sitting president has not attended the opening ceremony of the National Assembly.”
The Democratic Party claimed on this day that “there is a very high possibility that martial law is being planned somewhere in this administration.” At the confirmation hearing for Minister of National Defense nominee Kim Yong-hyun, the Democratic Party continued its offensive, saying that “President Yoon’s nomination of candidate Kim, a senior from Chungam High School, is intended to prepare for martial law.”
Then, the presidential office strongly criticized Representative Lee in a briefing by spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon, saying, “We are astonished at the fact that the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea spread fabricated rumors live on TV,” and “If this is not irresponsible incitement, then you should stake your position as party leader on it.” Representative Han said, “If it is not mere rhetoric, but a lie to the extent of ‘preparing martial law,’ then this is a violation of the national flag.”
This morning, the ruling and opposition party leaders discussed the previous day’s meeting and continued their consensus that dialogue should continue. At the Supreme Council meeting, Representative Han said, “I will separate politics of struggle and pursue politics that only think of the people and can quickly provide answers.” Representative Lee also said at the Supreme Council meeting, “I expect this to be a good opportunity for the ruling and opposition parties to cooperate on what needs to be cooperated on and compete on what needs to be competed on.”
The day after the Han-Lee meeting, Yoon ‘boycotts the National Assembly’… Ruling party members say, “We must show a welcoming attitude”
[尹, 민주화 이후 처음 개원식 불참]
Wild attack on “President’s rejection of the king of vetoes”
The Presidential Office: “The opposition party has not apologized for the murderer’s remarks”… Staff members also did not request attendance at the opening ceremony
With the official commentary that “Non-attendance is the Democratic Party’s fault”… Internal line: “The president must open the door to cooperation”
Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-shik (left) greets Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, Han Dong-hoon of the People Power Party, and Cho Kuk, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (second from the left) ahead of the opening ceremony held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 2nd. News 1
“I think this could be a good start, as there are many areas where there is consensus among various issues. I will show that politics will continue.” (People Power Party Representative Han Dong-hoon) “There has been substantial agreement in many areas. There will be great progress in the National Assembly’s legislation going forward.” (Democratic Party of Korea Representative Lee Jae-myung)
The leaders of the two parties, who held a meeting of the ruling and opposition party leaders the day before (the 1st), said this at their respective supreme council meetings on the 2nd. They gave meaning to the opening of the door to cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties and political restoration, and promised to continue follow-up measures. However, the political strife is intensifying as the presidential office and the ruling party are clashing head-on, fiercely opposing the Democratic Party’s martial law suspicion offensive from the first day of the September regular session.
Regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol’s absence from the opening ceremony of the 22nd National Assembly on this day, the Blue House stated, “Given that he is not hesitant to make the outrageous remark that the president’s family is a murderer, that martial law talk is rampant, and that verbal abuse and picket protests (from the opposition party) against the president are expected, it will be difficult for him to attend the opening ceremony.” In contrast, the Democratic Party fiercely criticized the absence, saying, “The president, who has been a veto king, is rejecting the people,” and the ruling party said, “It is the Democratic Party’s fault,” but internally, there were also comments saying, “If President Yoon had attended the opening ceremony and shown his will to cooperate first, the people would have sympathized.”
● Yongsan “Yoon’s non-attendance at the opening ceremony is the result of the opposition party”
This is the first time since the 1987 constitutional amendment that the president has not attended the National Assembly opening ceremony. The presidential office was reportedly leaning toward not attending after agonizing over whether to attend the National Assembly opening speech, when Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Hyun-hee said on the 15th of last month at the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee that “Kim Gun-hee and Yoon Seok-yeol killed him. He is a murderer.” It is also reported that the presidential office staff did not suggest attending the opening ceremony. An official from the presidential office said in a phone call, “He did not even apologize for his murderer remarks. I understand that he decided not to attend around the time of the People Power Party’s dinner party (last month on the 29th).” Another official said, “There is no need to keep repeating the phrase ‘first absence since democratization in 1987.’” “The opposition party is the first to push for impeachment of the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission as soon as he was appointed as the chairman of the prosecution. It would be better for the president not to attend such a National Assembly.” There was also a sharp reaction from within the presidential office, with some saying, “After beating someone up verbally the day before, the next day, ‘Please come to my wedding and give a congratulatory speech,’ and ‘Please come to my opening ceremony and congratulate me.’ This is not common sense even for the general public.”
On October 31st last year, when President Yoon visited the National Assembly to deliver his policy speech, there was a picket protest in the main chamber. Also, as is customary, lawmakers stand to greet the president, but during last year’s policy speech, Democratic Party lawmakers turned away from President Yoon, who had asked to shake his hand, or shook his hand while sitting down.
● Inside the ruling party: “The president should have shown inclusiveness”
The Democratic Party responded to the Blue House’s claim that “normalization of the National Assembly” was the reason for President Yoon’s absence from the opening ceremony, saying, “The Blue House is using the National Assembly situation as an excuse, but it is not the National Assembly but state affairs that have stopped.” In a commentary, Senior Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae criticized, “There is no way that the words of power that has built a wall with the public sentiment will be sound.”
On the other hand, Shin Dong-wook, the People Power Party’s floor leader, countered, “They should not make the National Assembly a battleground again by nitpicking the president’s absence from the opening ceremony without apologizing for their outrageous remarks.” However, a ruling party lawmaker said, “Shouldn’t the president be the one to open the door to cooperation first?” and “The impeachment of the prosecutors and the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission was wrong, and the people know that, but the president should have been a little more inclusive.”
The September regular session of the National Assembly is also expected to be difficult. The biggest obstacle is the re-voting at the National Assembly plenary session on the Broadcasting 4 Act, the Yellow Envelope Act, and the 250,000 Won Support Act for All Citizens, which were returned to the National Assembly due to President Yoon’s veto. The Democratic Party is putting these laws forward as key legislative tasks for the September regular session. The special prosecutor’s bill for private soldiers, which the Democratic Party has announced as its third proposal, is also a contentious issue that the presidential office, the ruling party, and the opposition party are facing off against.
Reporter Kim Jun-il [email protected]
Reporter Shin Na-ri [email protected]
Reporter Yoon Da-bin [email protected]
2024-09-03 03:46:31