Presidential Office Audit Filled with Shouting... Heated Debate over 'Yoon's Call and Lee Jae-myung's Verdict' [2024 Audit]

National Assembly Operations Committee Audit on the 1st Targeting the Presidential Office
Marked by Heated Arguments and Sarcasm

The National Assembly audit targeting the Presidential Office was marred by heated exchanges and sarcastic remarks exchanged loudly between the ruling and opposition parties. When the Democratic Party launched an offensive against President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife over the 'Kim Young-seon nomination interference controversy' phone recording with Myung Tae-gyun, which was disclosed the previous day, the People Power Party countered by raising issues surrounding Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, whose first trial verdict is imminent this month.

At the National Assembly Steering Committee audit on the 1st, People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo said to the opposition, "They are repeatedly playing the recordings and insisting it is grounds for impeachment before the facts are confirmed. This is all a process to cover up Leader Lee's judicial risks," adding, "If such fragmented recordings can be evidence of nomination interference, then the investigation into Leader Lee should already be over and he should be indicted immediately." Fellow party member Im E-ja also claimed, "The Democratic Party is making huge blunders out of impatience."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Chief of Staff to the President Jeong Jin-seok responded to Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party floor leader who disclosed the recording file the previous day, saying, "If someone offers help during elections, do you refuse?" thereby supporting the ruling party lawmakers' remarks regarding the allegations against Myung.

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jeong-jae responded to Democratic Party lawmaker Go Min-jung's comment that the phrase "If you are ignorant, that's how you are" sent by First Lady Kim to Myung was "appalling," by retorting, "Shall we play the curse words from Lee Jae-myung's sister-in-law? The truly appalling thing is Leader Lee."

Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Jong-gun said, "If you replace (Park Geun-hye's) Blue House with the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and Choi Soon-sil with Myung Tae-gyun, isn't the current situation exactly the same?" and urged Chief of Staff Jeong to recommend 'voluntary resignation' to President Yoon. This led to loud exchanges between lawmakers from both parties.

Also, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Jin-wook referred to the Korea Gallup poll released that day showing President Yoon's approval rating at a post-government launch low of 19%, saying, "It seems People Power Party lawmakers are not very worried," adding, "The true president of South Korea is not Yoon Suk-yeol but Kim Geon-hee."

Reform New Party lawmaker Cheon Ha-ram pointed out, "The approval rating is at 19% because they cover up by saying there is no legal problem while hiding the truth," to which Chief of Staff Jeong responded, "You should think about the Reform New Party's approval rating." The poll showed the Reform New Party's approval rating at 2%.

Regarding questions about the Kim Young-seon former lawmaker nomination controversy, Chief of Staff Jeong said, "Even Representative Cheon Ha-ram knows that then-People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok said there was no problem," adding, "Didn't you go to a temple (Chilbulsa in Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam) at dawn with Leader Lee Jun-seok and plant red plum blossoms?" This referred to the fact that Lee Jun-seok met former lawmaker Kim Young-seon and Myung at Chilbulsa in February, and targeted the photos released showing Lee and Cheon planting red plum blossoms at the site.