National Assembly to face bumpy road in Feb. amid deepening partisan wrangling
South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo heads to a detention center in Seoul on Wednesday, after being found guilty of involvement in a massive case of rigged online comments. Yonhap
The National Assembly is expected to face a bumpy road in February as rival parties clash over a series of political scandals and the detention of a confidant of President Moon Jae-in.
By law, an extraordinary parliamentary session automatically convenes in February, April and June.
But the February session is not likely to go ahead smoothly because the parties have yet to agree on the assembly schedule, putting at stake a set of bills on people's livelihoods and reforms.
In January, the National Assembly sat idle as rival parties wrangled over several issues that ranged from electoral reform to alleged real estate speculation by a former ruling party lawmaker.
Tensions further flared after South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo was found guilty Wednesday of involvement in a massive case of rigged online comments.
Kim, a Moon confidant, was sentenced to two years in prison for colluding with a power blogger to carry out the illicit cyber operation to sway public opinion in favor of Moon ahead of the 2017 presidential election.
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) increased its political attacks on Moon, with some lawmakers raising doubts that the 2017 election was fair.
Na Kyung-won, right, floor leader of the opposition Liberty Party of Korea, speaks with party officials on Friday. Yonhap
"Moon should clarify whether or to what extent he was aware of Kim's involvement in the online opinion manipulation," LKP floor leader Na Kyung-won said at an emergency meeting with its lawmakers on Thursday.
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) warned Thursday that any attempt to deny the election outcome would face the judgment of people who voluntarily held candlelight vigils in late 2016 against now-ousted former President Park Geun-hye over her massive corruption scandal.
Democratic floor leader Hong Young-pyo, right, speaks at a meeting with party officials on Thursday. Yonhap
"Rejecting the election outcome is to betray the people," said Democratic Party floor leader Hong Young-pyo.
"The LKP should come forward to enable the parliament to discuss people's livelihoods and work again.”
The LKP earlier pledged to boycott the whole parliamentary schedule in February in protest against Moon's appointment of a senior election watchdog official without a confirmation hearing.
Partisan wrangling also cast doubt on whether the parties can agree on details of electoral reform.
The Democratic Party and opposition parties agreed in December to consider the adoption of a new proportional representation system for electoral reform and to pass a revision of the election law by January.
But the rival parties have yet to agree, with minor parties pushing for the overhaul to increase their presence in local politics dominated by two big parties.
"As to Kim's ruling, the ruling party has issued reckless and dangerous comments that could be viewed as denying the separation of legal, administrative and judicial powers," said Kim Kwan-young, floor leader of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party.
"The LKP is also sticking to inflating suspicions while ignoring calls for electoral reform and livelihood-related issues." (Yonhap)