People's Party to boycott Assembly sessions
By Kim Rahn
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Park Joo-sun
The minor opposition People’s Party decided Friday to boycott all National Assembly sessions to protest the ruling party leader’s comment criticizing the scandal over a smear campaign in the presidential election.
While two other opposition parties have already been boycotting almost all sessions to protest other issues with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), all Assembly deliberations are now likely to be paralyzed, including one over the supplementary budget bill.
Rep. Park Joo-sun, the interim leader of the People’s Party, demanded DPK Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae apologize for her remark and resign, saying the party would only return to Assembly sessions after she does so.
The row started late last month after the People’s Party found out its smear campaign against President Moon Jae-in in the run-up to the May 9 election had been based on false information fabricated by a rank-and-file member.
The party denied the involvement of leading party officials in the fabrication, including former party Chairman Park Jie-won and former presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo.
Choo said in a radio interview Thursday that the People’s Party’s denial was an attempt to protect these officials by saying it was a misdeed by an individual junior member.
Park Joo-sun responded that Choo was unqualified to lead the ruling party.
“We conducted our own investigation into the scandal and are cooperating with the prosecution’s probe to take responsibility. We cooperated with the ruling party and the government, despite the humiliation and criticism, in a belief that we are partners in state affairs,” he said.
But the DPK leader is making false claims to make the People’s Party collapse and aggravate political strife, amid a situation when bipartisan cooperation is required over North Korea’s provocations, Park added.
“It is political revenge by the winner,” he said. “As long as she misunderstands our cooperation, normal operation of the Assembly is impossible.”
Choo Mi-ae
But Choo responded more strongly to Park’s remarks by saying the People’s Party leaders may have been guilty of “willful negligence” and those with “criminal responsibility” should face investigation.
The People’s Party then decided not to participate in confirmation hearings for minister nominees and endorsement of Supreme Court justices.
Earlier, the conservative main opposition Liberty Korea Party and minor Bareun Party declared a boycott of all sessions except for those on security issues to protest President Moon’s appointment of Education Minister Kim Sang-gon despite their opposition.
As the conflict has halted deliberation of the extra budget bill at the National Assembly Budget Committee, Speaker Chung Sye-kyun put the bill up for review at the committee by his own authority Friday. But it is unclear whether the committee can make any progress because opposition party members are unlikely to participate in meetings.