Rival parties should reflect on NK nuclear weapon testing

Yeouido was shook by an artificial earthquake caused by the fourth nuclear weapon testing of North Korea on Tuesday, a day before the provisional session of the 19th National Assembly went in recess. What were we doing while North Korea announced that it successfully finished testing of a hydrogen bomb, known as a more advanced technology than an atom bomb?

No one will disagree that the main culprits who retrogressed South Korea are its politicians who were even shocked by the announcement. Firm national security comes from national competitiveness based on its economic power. The 19th National Assembly has delayed Korea`s growth at every step, having the disgraceful title "the worst ever." When it should have released a letter of apology, it just published a conventional statement blaming North Korea. The only appropriate statement was from Saenuri Party spokesperson Kim Yeong-woo who remarked, "We should reduce the South-South conflict among politicians."

After all-night political disputes, the ruling and opposition parties closed the provisional session. Legislation of the contentious bill including economic stimulation had to be deferred again. They did not even complete the plan on redistricting, leaving worries that the 20th general election will be the most unfair one to date. What if election invalidity lawsuits flood after the election? How will they deal with it?

Now is the time to put an end to the ruling-opposition war as South Korea is facing the security crisis on top of the economic crisis. If the bipartisan negotiation ends, economic stimulation would be further delayed and elections could be more unfair. It is time to do away with shallow one-sided political schemes and to tackle pending issues as soon as possible. The provisional session will be closed soon. If they do not solve the problem today, they must open another provisional session and finish what they were doing. Otherwise, they will become what National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-Hwa calls "historical sinners."