Nan (蘭) Ri Nan National Assembly... "Protest" vs "Backward Politics"

Hwang Unha: "Angry at Rejection of Public Sentiment"
Cheon Haram: "Must Distinguish Between Public and Private Matters"

Over the past weekend, a dispute arose between the ruling and opposition parties as some opposition lawmakers refused the congratulatory orchids sent by President Yoon Suk-yeol to all elected members of the 22nd National Assembly. This discord at the start of the 22nd National Assembly signals a forecast of extreme confrontations ahead.

A congratulatory flower arrangement for President Yoon Seok-yeol's election as a member of the National Assembly, placed outside the office of Kim Jun-hyung, a member of the Innovation Party, on the 31st of last month, has a note attached that reads "Discarded." [Photo by Kim]

Hwang Unha, floor leader of the Joguk Innovation Party, explained in an interview with MBC Radio’s ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Focus’ on the 3rd, “Lawmakers are very angry about the president’s veto of the Chae Sang-byeong special prosecutor law and the rejection of the general election public sentiment, so they individually judged whether there was a need to accept the orchids.” He added, “When one lawmaker posted about it on social media, others seemed to respond, ‘I feel the same way.’”

Hwang said, “Some lawmakers even said, ‘We will take good care of them,’ but honestly, that phrase is more frightening.” He continued, “They said they would nurture the orchids well and send them as congratulatory flowers when the president steps down. Although the president’s term has nearly three years left, it’s difficult to nurture orchids for three years. Usually, even nurturing them for a month is hard.”

Regarding Cheon Ha-ram, floor leader of the Reform Party, pointing out that “public and private matters should be distinguished. The congratulatory orchids were not sent by Yoon Suk-yeol as a private individual but were sent institutionally from the head of the administration to members of the National Assembly as constitutional institutions,” Hwang responded, “The orchids were probably sent by the president using taxpayers’ money, so it cannot be considered a private act. It is a public act by the president.” He analyzed, “Refusing the orchids is also a public act by lawmakers as constitutional institutions, so both sides engaged in political acts.”

He added, “Not only Joguk Innovation Party but also some Democratic Party lawmakers refused them. They are very disappointed and angry about the president’s veto of the Chae Sang-byeong special prosecutor law and the People Power Party’s opposition votes during the re-deliberation. Each is expressing protest in their own way,” emphasizing, “There is no need to make a big deal out of it.”

On the same program, Cheon Ha-ram criticized Hwang’s earlier interpretation of refusing the congratulatory orchids as a political message, saying, “While refusal is indeed a political message, it is a backward political message.” Cheon said, “Seeing Representative Jo Guk and Joguk Innovation Party lawmakers discard the orchids and cut the ribbons, I thought Jo Guk could become a significant obstacle to judging the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.” He pointed out, “The Yoon administration is making many mistakes right now, so it is enough to point them out reasonably and clearly and then judge them. There is no need for it to look like Jo Guk’s personal revenge.”

He added, “If we switch perspectives, at the start of the 21st National Assembly, when the Moon Jae-in administration and President Moon sent orchids, did People Power Party lawmakers keep them simply because they had no personal grievances against President Moon? Then why would President Yoon want to send orchids to Representative Jo and others?”

When asked by the host whether Lee Jun-seok, a Reform Party lawmaker, is nurturing the congratulatory orchids sent by President Yoon well, Cheon replied, “I don’t know. Since that place doesn’t get much sunlight, I guess they just left them as is.” He added, “Although Lee has many grievances against President Yoon, he did not say he would ‘return’ or ‘throw away’ the orchids, and I think that is a normal reaction.”