On the 20th, members of the People Power Party left the plenary session of the National Assembly held in Yeouido, Seoul, during the economic sector interpellation, demanding an apology for the remarks made the previous day as Kim Sang-hee, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, sat in the chair to preside over the session. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Amid controversy over Kim Sang-hee, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea, making the remark "You’re excited, you’re excited" toward opposition party lawmakers, on the 20th, members of the People Power Party staged a mass walkout from the plenary session during a government questioning session.
During the economic sector government questioning session at the National Assembly that day, after the fifth questioner, Kim Seon-gyo, a People Power Party lawmaker, finished speaking, Speaker Park Byeong-seok handed the gavel over to Deputy Speaker Kim.
At that moment, shouts such as "Apologize," "What are you doing now," and "Deputy Speaker, apologize first" erupted among the People Power Party lawmakers.
In particular, Kim Seong-won, the senior deputy floor leader of the People Power Party, stepped right up to the speaker’s podium and protested, saying, "Can you just proceed without saying anything?" and "Shouldn’t you say something? We have been waiting until now."
However, Deputy Speaker Kim ignored this and continued the proceedings without an apology. In response, the People Power Party lawmakers protested and all exited the plenary session.
Kim Sang-hee, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, is presiding from the chair during the government economic sector questioning session held at the National Assembly plenary session in Yeouido, Seoul on the 20th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Earlier, the day before, while conducting government questioning on politics, diplomacy, unification, and security in the National Assembly plenary session, Deputy Speaker Kim made the remark "You’re excited, you’re excited" after People Power Party lawmaker Heo Eun-ah finished her questioning and received cheers of "Well done" from People Power Party members. It appears Deputy Speaker Kim was unaware that his microphone was on when he made the comment.
However, the Democratic Party criticized the People Power Party’s mass walkout as an act of neglecting the livelihood of the people.
Han Junho, the Democratic Party’s floor spokesperson, stated in a written briefing, "Government questioning is a forum where intense discussions about people’s livelihoods should take place. If there was a problem with Deputy Speaker Kim’s muttered remark, it should be pointed out through proper procedures and methods and resolved through dialogue."
He added, "The People Power Party should not just look for opportunities to pick fights but should focus on the people and their livelihoods."
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