People Power Party "Angry at Ruling Party's Forced Bill Passage... Will Use All Means to Stop It"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Kim Seong-won, the senior deputy floor leader of the People Power Party, said on the 4th regarding the ruling Democratic Party's move to forcibly pass the amendment to the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Act (the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Act) and other bills, "All members are strongly angered," and added, "We will use all means and methods to stop it."

After the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Kim met with reporters and criticized the Democratic Party for convening the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's subcommittee to process the amendment to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Act.

He said, "It is the same as when they pushed through the three lease laws. We can only interpret this as their intention to forcibly pass all the bills they want, aiming for legislative dictatorship, alone before the regular session on December 9," and sharply criticized, "They are trying to use the chaos in the National Assembly as momentum for the decline in approval ratings caused by the conflict between Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol."

Kim emphasized, "We will use all means and methods to stop it," and added, "This means that the members will use all available methods within the legal framework."

Regarding the possibility of requesting the reconvening of the Corruption Investigation Office recommendation committee at the meeting between National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok and the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties in the afternoon, he explained, "We are trying to put all bills on a negotiable table and achieve political compromise among the floor leaders." Regarding Rep. Im E-ja, the People Power Party's secretary of the Environment and Labor Committee, who proposed the Serious Accident Corporate Punishment Act, he added, "On the 6th, the party's labor-related lawmakers, lawyer-lawmakers, and economic sector lawmakers will have in-depth discussions and announce the party stance."

Regarding the Sewol ferry victims' families who are currently on a sit-in protest demanding the extension of the Social Disaster Special Investigation Committee's activities, Kim said, "The Social Disaster Special Investigation Committee was established by bipartisan agreement not only for the Sewol ferry but also for victims of humidifier disinfectant. The deadline is approaching, and it is difficult for us to understand what they are doing now to demand an extension or if they are asking for something excessive."

However, he added, "We will listen to their voices and discuss possible compromise plans," and said, "We will carefully examine how much of the taxpayers' money has been wasted so far and whether it has been used unnecessarily."