Opposition lawmakers draw flak for overseas trip amid flood crisis

Rep. Park Jeung of the Democratic Party of Korea speaks to reporters at Beijing Capital International Airport in China, in this June 15 file photo. A group of opposition party lawmakers have come under criticism for pushing ahead with their overseas trip during a flooding crisis. Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

When President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise visit to Ukraine on July 15, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) criticized him over the trip taken while a flooding crisis was unfolding at home. Now, the party is facing similar criticism over its own lawmakers traveling overseas.

Rep. Park Jeung, chief of the National Assembly's committee responsible for oversight of the executive branch's flood response, was among the four lawmakers who pressed ahead with a five-day trip to Vietnam and Laos this week at a time when heavy rain was forecast to pound South Korea.

Amid mounting criticism of hypocrisy and irresponsibility, Park and two others ― Reps. Yoon Joon-byeong and Choi Ki-sang ― said they would return earlier than originally planned. But Rep. Park Byeong-seug, former vice speaker of the Assembly, said he would stick to the plan because of predetermined diplomatic appointments.

“How could anyone understand the DPK lawmakers who proceeded with a business trip to Vietnam at a time when heavy rain threatened to endanger the lives and safety of the public across the country?” Rep. Kang Min-kuk, spokesman for the ruling People Power Party (PPP), said in a statement on Sunday.

“After criticizing the administration and governing party over the Ukraine trip, amid the heavy rain, it has been as irresponsible as the ruling party. This is yet another case showing its hypocritical attitude and low standards.”

Some PPP lawmakers had planned to join the trip, which began Sunday. But they eventually canceled as the country was reeling from the damage left by the heavy rainfall, which has so far killed at least 47 people and destroyed swathes of farmland across the country over the past week.

As heavy rain swept through Korea last week, many DPK lawmakers denounced Yoon for his trip to Ukraine, where he promised more support for the war effort at a summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon slammed him for “rolling up his sleeves for the business of other countries” while ignoring important matters in his own country.

The DPK lawmakers' business trip has faced criticism also from within. Rep. Lee So-young, its flood spokeswoman, said on Monday that party leaders urged them to cut the trip short as it was clearly improper to have such a trip given the domestic situation.