Park Hong-geun "Checking the runaway Yoon government... Will reform through the Broadcasting and Communications Committee and the Public Administration and Security Committee by controlling broadcasting and police"

Agreement on Assembly Organization between Ruling and Opposition Parties on the 22nd
"We will definitely prioritize urgent livelihood and economic legislation as it is delayed"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized on the 22nd regarding the agreement on the second half of the National Assembly's committee organization negotiation, "We focused solely on people’s livelihood and the economy," and stated, "We will check the runaway Yoon Seok-yeol administration."

Park, at the morning members' meeting held at the National Assembly that day, said, "(The delay in the agreement on the committee organization) makes it all the more important to carefully handle urgent legislation on people’s livelihood and the economy."

Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

He explained, "There are two main purposes behind today's agreement on the committee organization: to respond to the public mandate asking the Democratic Party, as the opposition, to correct the government and ruling party that are causing public concern day after day due to incompetence and irresponsibility, and to accept the call to focus on looking after the lives of the people as a livelihood party in difficult economic times."

Park emphasized that the Democratic Party placed weight on 'people’s livelihood and the economy' in this committee organization and worked hard to secure as many standing committees related to the livelihood economy as possible.

According to the results of this committee organization negotiation, the Democratic Party will take charge of 11 standing committees in the second half of the National Assembly, including Political Affairs, Education, Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, Health and Welfare, Environment and Labor, Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Women and Family, and the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts.

Park said, "There are seven major legislative tasks that must be prioritized, such as additional cuts in oil tax and support for workers’ meal expenses, while operating the People’s Livelihood Priority Task Force. These will be promptly handled by the Special Committee on People’s Livelihood Economy and the relevant standing committees."

He also announced that the formation of the Judicial Reform Special Committee and the Political Reform Special Committee, which the Democratic Party requested, will be swiftly promoted.

He stated, "We will achieve the second phase of power agency reform, including the establishment of a Korean-style FBI and the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (Jungsucheong). We will also normalize the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which has been an obstacle to committee organization as the upper house of the National Assembly, and provide institutional support to strengthen the budget and settlement review functions, which have been reduced to mere formalities despite handling hundreds of trillions of won in budgets." He added, "The Political Reform Special Committee will discuss political relation laws including these, and we will faithfully discuss the second National Assembly advancement and new innovation tasks for Korean politics."

Finally, Park directed the government, saying, "We will properly check the runaway Yoon administration. We will correct personnel scandals such as the private hiring in the Presidential Office and the forced appointment of inappropriate personnel through the National Assembly, and we must uncover the truth behind the security disorder led by the expulsion incident of a North Korean criminal." He emphasized, "We will actively respond to broadcasting and police control through the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee and the Public Administration and Security Committee."