By Kim Hyo-jin
Two opposition parties ― the Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) and the People’s Party ― have agreed to join forces in an effort to block the Park Geun-hye administration’s plan to introduce a state-authored history textbook, party officials said Sunday.
The move presents the first grave challenge to the conservative government, following the ruling Saenuri Party’s heavy losses in Wednesday’s general election.
The MPK and the People’s Party won 123 and 38 of 300 seats, respectively, while Saenuri secured 122 seats after previously holding a majority of 157 seats.
“We will push for a resolution to block a move to introduce the state-authored history textbook along with the Minjoo Party,” said Lee Sang-don, a lawmaker-elect and former co-chairman of the election planning committee of the People’s Party.
Lee said the government’s plan to introduce the state textbook represents the arrogance and self-righteousness of the Park administration.
“The MPK and the People’s Party can secure a majority of seats if they work together. The passage of the resolution will come smoothly,” he said, adding a motion to dismiss the education minister will be endorsed easily once filed by the party.
The MPK welcomed the proposal of the People’s Party.
“There’s no reason to oppose such move as we’ve already promised to scrap the state-authored textbook if we had become the largest party,” said Kim Sung-soo, the MPK’s spokesperson and a lawmaker-elect. “The floor leaders will soon begin to discuss its proceeding.”
The proposed opposition coalition against the state textbook came amid increasing calls for President Park to change her style of governance to avoid political conflicts following her party’s election defeat.
Park is now being asked to communicate more with opposition parties in dealing with state affairs.
The opposition camp has been against the move to reinstate the state-published history textbook for secondary school students, last year.
Despite intensified criticism by civic groups and the opposition bloc, the Park administration pushed ahead with the plan with support of the ruling party, and now the Ministry of Education is working on re-writing the textbook to distribute it in 2017.
The MPK proposed a bill to ban the government from writing textbooks in protest in December but it’s pending in the related-committee.
The move is regarded as indicative that the opposition bloc, which outnumbers the ruling party, will join forces on sensitive issues, say observers.
“Considering a resolution is not legally-binding, the parties’ move is likely to end up as a symbolic muscle-flexing gesture against the Park administration,” Kim Soo-jin, a politics professor at Ewha Womans University.
“But if they move onto an anti-government textbook bill, the ruling party will be put in a difficult position while the Park administration loses momentum in the remaining term.”
Lee commented that the People’s Party is taking a detour with a resolution because pushing for a bill is likely to be blocked by the Saenuri Party. Under the current Assembly Law, 60 percent of 300 lawmakers should agree to put up a bill for a vote.
He still hinted that pushing for the bill remains the next step and the MPK has also adopted a positive stance on this.
“We should seek any type of attempt as long as it can stop the implementation of the state-issued history textbook,” said MPK’s lawmaker Do Jong-hwan. “We will join hands with the People’s Party either it is for the pending bill or a resolution.”
“The partisan conflicts will be exacerbated surrounding the issue now that the opposition bloc can exert power with the election victory,” Kim Wook, a politics professor of Pai Chai University.
“Park is now required to change her unilateral and high-handed attitude in working with the legislature. The only way to survive her lame duck period is with an open mind for negotiation and meeting half way with the opposition bloc.”