Han Byeong-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, declared Sunday his intent to push ahead with a National Assembly plenary session Monday to reorganize parliament for the second half of the term, saying, "We will no longer waste the golden time for legislation."
At the party's supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Han said, "Until tomorrow (the 30th), all Democratic Party lawmakers will remain on emergency standby to prepare so that there are no disruptions to the reorganization." He added, "Today and tomorrow, we will surely complete the second-half reorganization within this month and return the achievements of livelihood legislation to the people."
Earlier, National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik had drawn up a list of standing committee assignments on his own for the People Power Party, which had refused to submit one, and requested feedback by noon that day. The Democratic Party has warned that if no reply arrives by that day, it could monopolize all 18 standing committee chairmanships. The party plans to hold a general meeting of lawmakers that afternoon to set its position on the second-half reorganization.
Targeting the People Power Party, Han criticized, "We waited and waited, but they ultimately did not submit a standing committee list," and "They are even rejecting the Speaker's assigned list under the National Assembly Act." He went on to attack directly, "They have thrown away their responsibility as a negotiating bloc like a worn-out shoe and appear interested in nothing but the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairmanship," and "We met and negotiated as many as 11 times, but they only repeat their demand to hand over the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairmanship."
Han argued, "Who was it that obstructed state affairs at every turn by filibustering (unlimited debate) livelihood bills and paralyzing standing committee operations?" and "The People Power Party should apologize first, rather than throwing a tantrum demanding the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairmanship." He added, "While the People Power Party fixates on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairmanship and paralyzes the National Assembly, the thoroughly neglected suffering of people's livelihoods grows worse by the day," and "No people will now tolerate a National Assembly that wastes time under the pretext of hollow negotiations."
Meanwhile, regarding the ballot shortage that occurred during the June 3 local elections, Han said, "Along with institutional improvements, we will also pursue a special counsel as party line to root out this incident and punish those responsible." He criticized, "There is no sanctuary whatsoever in reforming the National Election Commission," and "The damage to suffrage caused by the ballot shortage is a disaster that no excuse can justify."
Regarding the semiconductor facility investment in the Honam region by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which was scheduled to be announced at the presidential office that day, he said, "It is a national grand plan that redraws South Korea's industrial map and on which the nation's future growth engine and the fate of global corporations depend," adding, "We will take legal action without tolerance against malicious smear campaigns." Of the People Power Party, which criticized the move as "government interference in administration," he said, "They have raised objections by invoking outdated regionalism. They are distorting the facts with provocative words," and denounced, "The People Power Party's claims are the product of ignorance that fails to understand the survival strategy of global corporations, as well as malicious obstruction aimed at blocking national growth."
In addition, regarding the national soccer team's failure to advance to the World Cup round of 32 with a record of one win and two losses, he said, "Many soccer experts diagnose this as a 'poor performance' that had been foretold," and "We will discuss measures at the National Assembly level to prevent the Korea Football Association's arrogance and incompetence from disappointing the people again."
