Yoo now knows who's the boss

By Kim Hyo-jin

Rep. Yoo Seong-min

If the ruling Saenuri Party floor leader Rep. Yoo Seong-min had any doubts about the pecking order between the legislative and executive branches, President Park Geun-hye’s veto of a revision to the National Assembly Law should clear up any confusion.

The pro-Park Geun-hye faction in the party has intensified criticism of Yoo, with Rep. Kim Tae-heum calling on him to step down from his post.

“Yoo should be held accountable for failing to bridge the gap between party and Cheong Wa Dae,” Kim said.

Facing the myriad of criticism, the floor leader apologized, but dismissed calls for his resignation.

“I will take them as encouragement to do better,” Yoo told reporters after a party general meeting. Later that day, a meeting was held to discuss how to deal with the returned revision bill. The party decided to let it be automatically scrapped without putting it up for a new vote.

“I took it as an opportunity to reflect upon myself. Many lawmakers pointed out poor communications between the party and Cheong Wa Dae, and I’m sorry for that,” Yoo said.

Rep. Suh Chung-won, a leading figure in the pro-Park faction, also pressed Yoo to resign. “When I was a floor leader, I took responsibility for the failed revision to the Labor Law that caused a stir in the Assembly,” he said.

Rep. Lee Jung-hyun, a core member of the pro-Park faction, was harsh on the floor leader, saying, “It’s a shame that the President had to step in against the failing bill, which was the party’s job to do.”

Earlier that day, Park expressed displeasure with Yoo’s leadership.

“I doubt if the floor leader played a role to seek cooperation from the opposition party in the Assembly while the ruling party and the government are striving to boost economy,” she said.

Meanwhile, the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) slammed the President for vetoing the revision, threatening to boycott parliamentary sessions.

“It should be interpreted as a battle against the public,” Chairman Moon Jae-in said, citing that the revision was a compromise by the rival parties.

NPAD floor leader Lee Jong-kul also blasted Park’s decision.

“The President turned her back on the public’s call for the government to overcome the crisis brought on by the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome,” he said. “The National Assembly speaker should put the revision bill up for a vote again as he repeatedly promised.”

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo joined forces to bash Park, denouncing her veto.

“The President’s political greed to take a grip on the Assembly is harming party politics,” Ahn said.

During a plenary session convened later in the day, the NPAD participated in passing a bill regarding the prevention and management of infectious disease, the so-called MERS bill.