'Abandoning Arrest Bill' First Innovation Plan Ignored
Overshadowed by Factional Conflicts and Fukushima Contaminated Water Issues
The Innovation Committee (Innovation Committee) of the Democratic Party of Korea, led by Chairperson Kim Eun-kyung, has been in operation for half a month, but it is being evaluated as failing to demonstrate its presence. Although the failure to gain consensus on the first innovation proposal?abandoning parliamentary immunity and passing the party line on arrest consent bills?played a part, both internally and externally, the atmosphere for the Innovation Committee to establish itself has not been formed.
Internally, conflicts between the pro-Myeong faction and the pro-Nak faction, and externally, other issues such as blocking the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan have become the focus of attention, preventing the committee from attracting interest.
On the 20th, at the first meeting of the Democratic Party Innovation Committee held at the National Assembly, Representative Lee Jae-myung and Chairperson Kim Eun-kyung are greeting each other. 2023.6.20 [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Innovation Committee officially launched on the 20th of last month. Four days later, on the 24th, former leader Lee Nak-yeon returned to the country, intensifying the tension between the pro-Myeong and pro-Nak factions, and issues related to the Innovation Committee received relatively little attention.
Additionally, the Democratic Party is currently focusing all efforts on preventing the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. With the government and ruling party effectively showing support for the discharge, the Democratic Party opposing it has no choice but to foster an atmosphere that calls for unity and solidarity rather than exposing internal problems.
Above all, the Innovation Committee lost significant momentum as the party leadership and lawmakers showed lukewarm attitudes toward the first innovation proposal, "the abandonment of parliamentary immunity by all affiliated lawmakers." Although the party leadership outwardly stated they would accept the Innovation Committee’s proposal, they only said, "If a request for an arrest consent bill arises during the session, we will not decide to reject it as the party line," but did not commit to passing the arrest consent bill as the party line.
Some criticize that the Innovation Committee fails to address the fundamental problems of the party that require innovation. On the 6th, Representative Cho Eung-cheon said in a KBS radio interview that the reason the Innovation Committee’s proposals are not well received is because "while abandoning parliamentary immunity is certainly a big issue, the approach is too microscopic," adding, "If you flip the lid of a pot, the inside is fully revealed, but since it hasn’t been flipped, the inside is not visible now."
The Innovation Committee stated that the party’s will to overcome the crisis is not desperate. At the 6th Innovation Committee meeting on the 6th, Chairperson Kim Eun-kyung pointed out, "The Democratic Party has been complacent with vested interests and did not appear desperate about the public’s distrust and hatred of politics and the party’s crisis," adding, "Some party figures are causing division by mentioning defections, new parties, and splits."
She continued, "I cannot help but ask again whether the Democratic Party understands the necessity of innovation and the demands of the people and fully feels their weight," emphasizing, "I strongly urge reconsideration of the need for innovation and to stop shaking the party and disappointing the public repeatedly. Resistance and backlash are expected during the innovation process, but we will not waver."
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