[Interview] "The National Assembly's Primary Role is 'Checks and Balances'... The Ruling Party Feels Like an Occupying Force Wearing Armbands"

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] "The ruling party's behavior is like an occupying force wearing armbands. They even disciplined their own party members for abstaining against the party line, so how much harsher do you think they are with other parties?"

Amid ongoing conflicts over the organization of the National Assembly, we met with Representative Kim Ki-hyun, who is mentioned as a candidate for the Future United Party's Judiciary Committee Chairperson. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 4th, he urged the ruling party to make concessions, saying, "The most important role of the National Assembly is not to cooperate with the government but to provide checks and balances."

Conventionally, the National Assembly has always started after completing negotiations on its organization before the opening. As a result, it has never convened on the date specified by the National Assembly Act. However, the ruling party, which won 177 seats in this general election, insists on convening on the 5th as stipulated by law, stating that "there will be no negotiations."

Representative Kim said, "There is a calculation to exploit the COVID-19 situation to frame the opposition as obstructing, so they are making a big deal out of something trivial," and questioned, "If the opposition's original function is criticism, but they only pursue efficiency by saying 'they are obstructing,' wouldn't it be better to abolish the National Assembly altogether?"

The Judiciary Committee Chairperson position, which Representative Kim hopes to hold, is at the center of the organizational power struggle. The ruling party claims that the opposition has been 'obstructing' through the Judiciary Committee's authority to review the system and wording of laws. In response, Representative Kim pointed out, "When making laws, there are cases where they conflict with prior or subsequent laws or other laws, or where legal terms are mixed with general terms, and the system and wording review is to prevent this," adding, "If the Judiciary Committee disappears and the National Assembly makes laws poorly, the ones who suffer are the people."

Some critics argue that Representative Kim, a former mayor of Ulsan Metropolitan City and a figure involved in the 'Blue House directive incident,' has a conflict of interest and is unsuitable for the Judiciary Committee Chairperson. Representative Kim responded, "I am practically a victim of that incident, so preventing me from becoming the Judiciary Committee Chairperson for that reason is a secondary harm."

While maintaining his identity as 'conservative,' he emphasized the need to 'shift left' and show an innovative image. Representative Kim said, "The concepts of left and right are political orientations, and if you reverse the orientation, the party loses its raison d'?tre," but added, "However, in a situation where you must govern, ignoring public sentiment and insisting 'I am the only one right' means you cannot take power." He plans to study policies more, including 'basic income.' Representative Kim said, "We plan to gather like-minded lawmakers to study policies with expertise," and added, "Starting with basic income, we need to understand common-sense conservative policies to generate issues and lead the ruling party in a pioneering way."