Speaker Woo Won-sik Calls Meeting of Ruling and Opposition Party Floor Leaders
On the 17th, the floor leaders of the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea held their first meeting presided over by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik. Speaker Woo stated that he convened the floor leaders of both parties for cooperation, but Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae and People Power Party acting party leader and floor leader Kwon Seong-dong exchanged sharp remarks and engaged in a tense confrontation.
Floor leader Park pressured acting leader Kwon, whom he met in the Speaker's office that afternoon, to cooperate in forming and launching a special committee for the investigation of the insurrection incident, saying, "The People Power Party, which sided with President Yoon Seok-yeol, the ringleader of the insurrection, must at least take steps to atone before the people."
He also stated that due to the emergency martial law situation, wide-ranging areas such as the economy, diplomacy and security, national dignity, and people's livelihood and economy have been affected, demanding the swift launch of the special investigation committee on the insurrection incident, the formation of a confirmation hearing special committee for constitutional court justices, cessation of pressure on cabinet members, participation in the national stability consultation body, the preparation of supplementary budgets, and the activation of all standing committees.
Floor leader Park said, "The people are suffering due to the insurrection incident caused by the president," and urged, "The National Assembly, as the representative of the people, must responsibly manage this situation and work towards national stability and the recovery of people's livelihoods. We hope the People Power Party will actively cooperate."
From the left, Park Hyung-soo, Senior Deputy Floor Leader of the People Power Party, Kwon Seong-dong, Floor Leader, Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, Park Chan-dae, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Park Seong-jun, Senior Deputy Floor Leader, are attending a meeting of floor leaders from both ruling and opposition parties presided over by Speaker Woo in the Speaker's office at the National Assembly on the 17th, posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
In response, acting leader Kwon rebutted, "Before the president's impeachment, if the opposition Democratic Party had not abused the National Assembly's legislative power to cover up the criminal acts of leader Lee Jae-myung by repeatedly pushing for impeachment and special investigations and unilaterally cutting the budget, Korea would have become a much more beautiful country, a Korea where dialogue works, and a Korea of coexistence."
He also protested, saying, "Since I was elected floor leader, I proposed a meeting to Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae, but it was refused. Considering that the ruling and opposition floor leaders responded to the National Assembly meeting today, I cannot help but ask whether they have recognized me as a negotiation partner."
On the same day, acting leader Kwon also pressured floor leader Park regarding the possibility of Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo appointing constitutional court justices, which became a point of contention between the People Power Party and the Democratic Party. Kwon said, "Eight years ago, during the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, Democratic Party leader Chu Mi-ae and floor leader Woo Sang-ho argued that the acting president could not appoint constitutional court justices. I cannot understand how the logic that it was allowed then but not now holds."
Meanwhile, Speaker Woo said, "Although this is a very unfortunate national event, since it is the result of the people's will, our National Assembly must now focus all efforts on managing this situation and stabilizing state affairs," adding, "Just as the center of state affairs is the National Assembly, the center of the National Assembly must be the people. People's livelihood must be prioritized." He also requested cooperation between the People Power Party and the Democratic Party regarding the schedule for confirmation hearings of constitutional court justices and the formation of the special investigation committee on emergency martial law.
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