On the 4th day of the National Assembly inspection on the 11th, the ruling and opposition parties are expected to continue political disputes over controversies surrounding key figures such as Kim Geon-hee and Moon Da-hye at 12 standing committees, including the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
The Legislation and Judiciary Committee will conduct inspections of the Constitutional Court in the morning and the Ministry of National Defense Military Court in the afternoon at the National Assembly. In particular, during the military court inspection, the ruling and opposition parties are expected to engage in disputes over allegations of investigation interference related to the death of Chae Sang-byeong. Previously, the committee summoned Lee Jong-ho, former CEO of Black Pearl Investment and a key figure in the 'rescue lobbying' allegations related to the Chae Sang-byeong death case, as a witness for the military court inspection, but Lee submitted a letter of absence.
The Democratic Party is pressuring attendance by issuing a summons for absent witnesses during this inspection. On this day, opposition members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee are likely to request a summons for Lee Jong-ho. Additionally, the committee plans to examine allegations of investigation interference by calling former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, former Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik, former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop, and Marine Corps Colonel Park Jeong-hoon as witnesses.
On the same day, the Public Administration and Security Committee is expected to focus on the investigation related to the drunk driving incident involving Moon Jae-in’s daughter, Da-hye. Earlier, on the early morning of the 5th, Moon was involved in a collision with a taxi while changing lanes near a bus stop in front of the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, while driving under the influence.
Alcohol testing revealed that Moon’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.149%, exceeding the license cancellation standard of 0.08%. The ruling People Power Party applied to summon Moon as a witness for the inspection, but the opposition blocked it. The People Power Party criticized Moon’s drunk driving as a "murderous act." In response, Democratic Party lawmakers plan to counter by verifying allegations of the Presidential Office’s involvement in covering up customs drug investigations.
The Strategy and Finance Committee and the Industry, Trade, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee will conduct audits on the government’s tax revenue estimates, tax policies, and affiliated research institutions. Opposition members of the Strategy and Finance Committee criticized the government for not submitting specific countermeasures regarding the projected 30 trillion won tax revenue shortfall this year. The opposition suspects that the government intends to announce measures at a more favorable time after the inspection. In the Industry, Trade, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, evaluations on appropriate budget utilization and performance of affiliated institutions such as the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, and Korea Industrial Complex Corporation are expected.
Additionally, the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee will conduct an on-site inspection of the Yeoju Nonghyup Cooperative Joint Business Corporation (RPC) in the morning, followed by an inspection of the Rural Development Administration at the National Assembly in the afternoon. Especially amid the spread of scientifically unverified crop pest control methods and agricultural information on social media, discussions are expected to continue regarding budget shortages related to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Rural Development Administration, which are the main departments responsible for managing these issues.
Jeong Cheong-rae, Chairman of the National Assembly Judiciary Committee, is presiding over the audit of the Ministry of Justice and others at the Legislative and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
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