The Democratic Party calls the opposition's 'picket protest' a "gentlemen's agreement turned into a scrap of paper"

"The National Assembly is reverting to outdated practices of the past"

The People Power Party criticized the Democratic Party of Korea on the 31st for holding placards on the stairs outside the main chamber before President Yoon Suk-yeol's policy speech, calling it a violation of the 'gentlemen's agreement.'

Jang Dong-hyuk, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a commentary that "The Democratic Party of Korea is turning the gentlemen's agreement made between the ruling and opposition parties for cooperation into a scrap of paper before the ink has even dried," and pointed out that "despite the promise to stop shouting and jeering, they are reverting the National Assembly to old bad practices."

Democratic Party lawmakers did not hold placards or raise their voices inside the chamber during the policy speech in the morning, but before the speech began, they waited holding placards with slogans such as 'Prioritize the Livelihood Economy' and 'Fear the People' on the Rotunda Hall stairs.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Democratic Party maintains that the placard protest outside the chamber does not violate the agreement. Hong Ik-pyo, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, told reporters that "There are claims that our placard protest on the Rotunda Hall stairs violated the gentlemen's agreement, but that is completely untrue," and added, "At the actual discussion of the (gentlemen's) agreement, we told Yoon Jae-ok, the floor leader of the People Power Party at the time, that it could be done anytime in the Rotunda Hall."

The People Power Party has rebutted this. Floor spokesperson Jang said, "Perhaps embarrassed by having trampled on the gentlemen's agreement by holding placards in the Rotunda Hall, they even spread fake news claiming they 'sought our party's consent,'" emphasizing, "There was no way we would give such consent, and the very notion that it could be possible with our party's consent is astonishing."

He added, "The Democratic Party is also telling one-sided lies regarding witness negotiations for the operating committee's audit," and said, "They are making unreasonable claims that our party's floor deputy leader, who is hospitalized, is refusing negotiations. It is hard to understand the opposition's shameless behavior, using insulting language accusing someone lying in a hospital bed of obstructing work and neglecting duties."

He concluded, "What the Democratic Party seeks to reveal through witnesses is not the truth of the incident but solely political strife and fault-finding," and said, "If they have no intention or will to uphold the gentlemen's agreement for the sake of the people's livelihood and cooperation, I hope they honestly disclose this to the public."