[Reporter’s Notebook] National Issues Piling Up as Ruling and Opposition Parties Sink Deeper into Political Strife

Nearly a month has passed since the first regular session of the National Assembly began under the new administration, yet the ruling and opposition parties remain mired in a quagmire of political strife. Key livelihood and economic bills, such as the K-Steel Act and the Special Semiconductor Act, have been pushed to the back burner. The Livelihood Economy Council, a joint initiative proposed by President Lee Jaemyung and the leaders of both parties, has been indefinitely postponed and has yet to launch. Whether in the National Assembly plenary session or standing committee meetings, cooperation is nowhere to be found, and only a chilly atmosphere of conflict prevails.

While politics have effectively come to a standstill, national issues are piling up. Since the South Korea-U.S. summit, working-level tariff negotiations are ongoing. There is growing concern over the increasing uncertainty in trade. In an interview with foreign media, President Lee stated, "We must end this instability as soon as possible." The automobile and steel industries, which are subject to high tariffs ranging from 25% to 50%, are voicing their distress daily.

In these grave circumstances, what is the state of the National Assembly, which should be untying the knots of these national challenges? Even if the ruling and opposition parties joined forces, resolving tariff negotiations with the U.S. government would not be easy, yet they remain preoccupied with criticizing each other.

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, responded cynically to President Lee's departure for the United Nations General Assembly, saying, "He has effectively admitted total failure in the tariff negotiations." Over the past weekend, the party held a large-scale rally outside Daegu Station for the first time in about six years. The square was filled with chants of "We will stop Lee Jaemyung's dictatorship." The politics of dialogue and compromise have disappeared, replaced by the hollow echoes of futile struggle.

The Democratic Party of Korea, which as the ruling party should bear a sense of responsibility, is instead fueling controversy by clashing with Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Huidae. The ruling party, which should be reaching out to the opposition and seeking solutions to national issues, is instead stirring up conflict. Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party, has unleashed harsh rhetoric against the opposition, calling it "bizarre" and "the epitome of constitutional violation." One must wonder whether he even sees the main opposition party as a partner for dialogue.

According to the National Assembly's legislative information system, it is difficult to find any livelihood-related bills agreed upon by both parties during the approximately three weeks since the September regular session began. The only items that have passed the plenary session amid partisan confrontation are the arrest motion for Assemblyman Kwon Seongdong of the People Power Party and amendments to three special prosecutor bills (regarding insurrection, Kim Gunhee, and the death of a marine in the line of duty). The Livelihood Economy Council, intended to discuss non-contentious bills, shows no sign of functioning anytime soon.

Can the issues affecting people's livelihoods be resolved without cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties? While it is natural for different camps to clash over reforms and policies, a prolonged and wasteful battle will only erode the lives of ordinary citizens. Today, young people continue to express anxiety over job searches, and small business owners suffer from sluggish sales and loan interest burdens. Even now, grand bipartisan cooperation is urgently needed. Only with the opposition presenting effective alternatives and the ruling party demonstrating a willingness to engage in dialogue can the tangled knots of politics be unraveled.