Ruling party head vows stern handling of 'law-breaking' LKP members

Lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) hold a sit-in protest in front of the office of the special committee on judiciary reform where its members will decide whether to fast-track reform bills at the National Assembly, Monday. The LKP has continued to protest the fast-track move which was agreed upon by four other political parties last week. Blocking a scheduled meeting is illegal under the Assembly Law. / Yonhap

700,000 sign petition calling for LKP disbandment

By Park Ji-won

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Hae-chan vowed a stern handling of illegal activities by main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) members to block votes on fast-tracking reform bills, Monday.

Describing the LKP members as “thieves,” Lee said he took photos of them breaking the law while conducting sit-in protests inside the National Assembly, and filed complaints with the police against them in person.

The remarks came as the LKP members are holding sit-in protests to block relevant committees from holding meetings to decide on fast-tracking the reform bills for the fourth consecutive day.

“The LKP's illegal confinement, occupation and violence have paralyzed the National Assembly. Their acts should never be forgiven,” Lee said.

“I took more than 30 photos of LKP members committing illegal acts. I will file a complaint with the prosecution against those people under my name as this is my last job as a politician.”

DPK floor leader Rep. Hong Young-pyo also said his party will file a complaint with the prosecution Monday against LKP lawmakers and members for violating the Assembly Law. The law stipulates that anyone who takes violent actions in or near the meeting rooms of the Assembly with the aim to interrupt any kind of parliamentary meetings can be sentenced up to five years in jail or fined up to 10 million won.

Criticizing the LKP has been making the National Assembly a “lawless place.” “The LKP should stop the illegal occupation of the Assembly right now and spreading lie,” Hong added.

The moves came in response to the LKP members who started their protests last Tuesday when the political parties, except the LKP, made an agreement to fast-track reform bills on increasing the number of proportional representation seats in the Assembly, establishing a special investigative body to look into corruption allegations involving high-ranking government officials and their families, and expanding the police's independent investigative authority.

The law on fast-tracking bills was made originally in 2012 with the aim to prevent bills from being held up in the Assembly for too long after failing to win bipartisan support, when the Saenuri Party, the predecessor of the LKP, took the majority of the Assembly.

The LKP has claimed the move is illegal as it didn't give its consent especially on the electoral reform bill, which is extremely important for defining the country's democracy and also aimed at the ruling camp's intention to extend the current “leftist regime.”

LKP members have possibly violated the Assembly Law during their protests by blockading the Assembly office in charge of accepting original proposals, so that the four parties failed to submit those bills, as well as meeting rooms, so that the committees could not hold meetings to discuss whether to fast-track the bills.

Due to the LKP's protests over fast-tracking the bills and its process, it is largely expected that the move will be postponed further.

Despite the LKP's objections, the four parties submitted Friday the reform bills by using the Assembly's electronic system, the first time doing so electronically in the Assembly's history.

Earlier, the DPK filed a complaint against the 18 LKP lawmakers, including Floor Leader Rep. Na Kyung-won, claiming they violated the law by using violence to block parliamentary activities. Responding to the move, the LKP also reported 17 DPK members, including floor leader Rep. Hong Young-pyo, to prosecutors, claiming they assaulted the LKP members.

Adding to the DPK, the progressive Justice Party also filed a complaint with the prosecution against 40 LKP lawmakers, including Na, and two LKP employees Monday for legal violations such as obstruction of public duty, confinement and trespassing.

Meanwhile, more than 700,000 people signed an online petition on the website of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae calling for disbanding the LKP. The petition says the LKP should be dissolved as it continued to block governmental bills, hold frequent street protests and make defamatory remarks against its people. As a rule, when a petition on the website is able to gather more than 200,000 signatures within 30 days of being posted, the presidential office must publicly respond to the contents of the post.

A poll by Realmeter on 505 adults also showed Monday that 44 percent said the LKP's use of force is responsible for the physical confrontation at the Assembly while 33 said the DPK's irrational move to push ahead with fast-tracking reform bills is attributable.