President Lee Departs for UN General Assembly Today
People Power Party Leadership Visits Industrial Sites in North Gyeongsang
"Tariff Negotiations Hit Industry Hard, Companies Waiting Anxiously"
As President Lee Jaemyung departs for New York, United States, on September 22 to attend the 80th United Nations General Assembly, the People Power Party visited industrial sites in North Gyeongsang Province as a group and criticized President Lee, stating, "Our companies, who are desperately waiting for the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations to be concluded, are burning with anxiety."
People Power Party representative Jang Donghyuk is speaking at the People Power Party Small and Medium Enterprise On-site Supreme Council meeting held at the Gyeongsan Industrial Complex Management Corporation in Gyeongsan City, Gyeongbuk Province on the 22nd. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, held an on-site Supreme Council meeting at the Gyeongsan Industrial Complex Management Corporation in North Gyeongsang Province on the morning of the same day and emphasized, "The president is leaving for the United States today to attend the United Nations General Assembly, but according to a briefing from the national security office chief, there will be no meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The public is wondering what exactly the government is doing and what was discussed during the previous summit between the two leaders."
Jang pointed out, "This is Gyeongsan, where the automobile parts industry is concentrated. It is also a place directly hit by the tariff negotiations. After the Korea-U.S. summit, the government claimed that the tariff negotiations were so successful that there was no need for a written agreement. However, in a recent interview with Time magazine, the president virtually admitted the complete failure of the tariff negotiations by saying, 'If I had signed the agreement, I would have been impeached.'"
He continued, "The automotive industry has already suffered severe damage and is anxiously waiting for the tariff negotiations to be concluded. A 25% tariff is imposed on automobile parts, but for those classified as steel, the tariff is 50%. That is why we are holding the Supreme Council meeting here on-site today and plan to visit an automobile parts factory afterward."
Jang further stressed, "For companies facing various difficulties, the People Power Party is proposing bills and preparing alternatives. While tax and financial support are necessary, reducing logistics costs is also urgent. Therefore, the construction of the Gyeongsan-Ulsan Expressway is even more pressing."
Song Eonseok, floor leader of the party, also remarked, "After the last Korea-U.S. summit, the presidential office boasted that the talks went so well that a written agreement was unnecessary. The official responsible for spreading such blatant lies must be dismissed immediately. The details of the ongoing tariff negotiations should be fully disclosed to the public."
People Power Party leader Jang Donghyuk is speaking at the 'National Condemnation Rally Against Opposition Suppression and Dictatorial Politics' held on the 21st at Dongdaegu Station Square in Dong District, Daegu. Photo by Yonhap News
The People Power Party's heightened criticism of the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, timed with President Lee's departure, appears intended to highlight the government's and the ruling party's failures in both domestic affairs and diplomacy.
The People Power Party also began a full-scale campaign against the administration by holding a "National Condemnation Rally Against Opposition Suppression and Dictatorial Politics" at Dongdaegu Station Square the previous day. At the rally, Jang declared, "With the power of the great citizens of Daegu and North Gyeongsang, and with the People Power Party, we must put an end to the Lee Jaemyung administration and prevent dictatorship."
Conflict between the ruling and opposition parties is expected to intensify around September 25, when the Democratic Party plans to push for the passage of the Government Organization Act amendment. Kim Byungki, floor leader of the Democratic Party, told reporters the previous day, "The Government Organization Act will pass. Regardless of how the People Power Party responds, we will put it on the agenda first. There will be no compromise on this issue."
The People Power Party plans to hold a policy caucus meeting in the afternoon to discuss countermeasures against the forced passage of the Government Organization Act. The party maintains that it cannot cooperate with the government reorganization and is expected to respond with a filibuster (unlimited debate) against the related bill.
Meanwhile, President Lee, accompanied by First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, will depart for the United States via Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of September 22. His schedule includes delivering a keynote speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, presiding over an open debate at the United Nations Security Council on September 24, and attending the "Korea Investment Summit" on Wall Street on September 25. There are no plans to hold a Korea-U.S. summit meeting.
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