National Audit Begins on the 4th of Next Month
Opposition Highlights Diplomatic Failures, Presidential Office Relocation Suspicions, and Overall Economic Policies
Ruling Party Counters with Allegations Against Leader Lee Jae-myung
[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Geum Bo-ryeong] Following the passage of the motion to dismiss Foreign Minister Park Jin, the ruling and opposition parties, which clashed over the issue, plan to devote all their efforts to the upcoming National Assembly audit next week. Regarding the audit starting next month, the opposition party is gearing up to point out issues across the entire government, from suspicions surrounding the presidential office relocation to controversies over vulgar language and economic policies. The People Power Party urged fact-based arguments focusing on the previous administration's failures in response to the Democratic Party's criticisms.
Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the plaque ceremony of the Comprehensive Situation Room for the National Assembly inspection on the 29th at the National Assembly, delivering a greeting./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
Jin Seong-jun, the Democratic Party's senior deputy floor leader, explained in a phone interview on the 30th that the upcoming audit would examine the problems in the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's governance. Jin said, "Above all, the foreign affairs disaster issue will be addressed mainly by the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and the Steering Committee, and the presidential office relocation issue is serious, so it will also be discussed by the relevant standing committees."
Regarding suspicions about the presidential office, the Democratic Party stated that members of the 'Presidential Office-Related Suspicion Fact-Finding Team' will focus on fact-finding through audits in their respective standing committees. Han Byung-do, a Democratic Party lawmaker and head of the team, said at a press briefing that day, "Through the National Assembly audit, we will thoroughly reveal the actual costs of relocating the presidential office under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, and during next year's budget review process, we will conduct meticulous scrutiny to prevent wasteful spending of taxpayers' money." In this regard, the Democratic Party has organized 20 major investigative tasks and 60 detailed tasks related to four major suspicions: ▲presidential office relocation and Blue House opening ▲selection of the presidential residence site and preferential contract awards ▲private recruitment of presidential office staff ▲and other work performance capabilities.
Problems with the current administration's investigative agencies are also expected to be intensively addressed. Jin said, "Issues of unfairness and bias in investigative agencies such as the prosecution, police, and Board of Audit and Inspection will also be discussed." Topics will include controversies over amendments to enforcement ordinances by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as well as investigations into opposition party leaders and heads of agencies appointed by the previous administration.
In the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the Education Committee, issues related to suspicions surrounding First Lady Kim Geon-hee are expected to be raised. In response, ruling party standing committee members plan to defend against these opposition attacks and launch counterattacks against Representative Lee Jae-myung and his spouse. Park Hyung-soo, a People Power Party lawmaker on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said, "The Democratic Party talks as if investigations related to Mrs. Kim are not being conducted under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, but we intend to argue against the unfairness of the Democratic Party's claims," adding, "We will urge strict investigations into Representative Lee and Kim Hye-kyung's corporate card usage." Seo Byung-soo, a member of the Education Committee, said, "How can matters related to Mrs. Kim Geon-hee be subjects of the audit? We will challenge that unfairness."
Additionally, criticisms regarding cuts to budgets related to ordinary citizens in this year's budget are expected to continue. Shin Dong-geun, the Democratic Party's secretary of the Strategy and Finance Committee, said, "We will raise issues about the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's economic direction, especially its tax cut policies, and verify the validity of the current government's fiscal austerity." Shin added, "There is a problem where even parts agreed upon by both parties without issues are recently being blamed on the Moon Jae-in administration, and we plan to address such matters as well."
Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, and Sung Il-jong, chairman of the Policy Committee, held a plaque ceremony for the comprehensive situation room of the national audit at the National Assembly on the 27th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
The People Power Party, while criticizing the five years of the Moon Jae-in administration's failures, also expressed its intention to actively verify the truthfulness of the Democratic Party's claims against the current government.
On the same day, at a meeting to prepare for the audit, floor leader Joo Ho-young said, "Considering the current situation in the National Assembly, this audit will not be smooth either," and pointed out, "As seen in the overseas trip controversy, the Democratic Party is a party skilled at amplifying and reproducing even minor or nonexistent flaws and playing the media."
He urged, "I ask the secretaries and committee members of each standing committee to be aware of this environment and conduct fact-checking," adding, "I hope the senior professional staff of the Policy Committee and aides thoroughly fact-check every statement before speaking, and that they thoroughly fact-check the Democratic Party's claims or statements to prevent exaggerations or falsehoods."
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