[Editorial] Reasons for Hoopla in Congress?

No wonder congressmen are scolding ministers.

The National Assembly has become a "hot spot" for debate between congressmen and government ministers. In some committees, booing and jeering were heard, putting a negative spin on people`s moods. In the past, when a similar situation occurred, the congressmen, not the ministers, received more criticism from the public. Usually, aggressive lawmakers were depicted as predators, putting the ministers on the defensive in search of correct answers to the questions of congressmen, deemed underdogs by South Koreans. Consequently, South Koreans used to side with the executive body in most cases.

We cannot, however, blame the congressmen for their grilling of ministers. Rather, it is natural and proper for representatives to scold ministers who come up with policies that the general populous would not support, or who, due to lack of culture and respect, show an insincere attitude when answering their questions. Congressmen ask questions, not in the capacity of an ordinary citizen, but in the capacity of an official figure representing the voice of all South Koreans. In this respect, congressmen are entitled to make critical and sometimes abrasive remarks about the executive branch. This is one of the reasons why they were elected.

Take Culture and Tourism Minister Chang-dong Lee as an example. He has come up with various policies that subvert the press and freedom of speech. He promised government intervention on the newspaper industry. The problem however, does not stop there. Congressmen have an obligation to make inquiries into various related issues. Administration and Home Affairs Minister Kim also gives us an illuminating example. He took the fifth to numerous questions posed by lawmakers. Then, he went on TV and began criticizing legislators. He deserves the verbal abuse of the National Assembly as well as the public.

On the other hand, Justice Minister Kang is a figure that other ministers might be able to learn from. Unable to answer a question, the justice minister politely replied, "I didn`t think about it. I`ve just begun to realize the problem. I really appreciate your illuminating your issues for me. Now I know why the National Assembly is important."

The statement earned her praise and helped wash off any negative image we might have had of her in the first place. There is no reason for aggressively questioning a minister as long as they respect the legislative body and make clear what they intend to say.

Of course, congressmen themselves should look at themselves in the mirror. Each and every of them represents the nation and our Constitution. Thus, when they say something, they say it in such the dignified manner. Aside from this matter, however, ministers and government officials should first look at themselves and find out what exactly caused such coarse reactions from their audience. Some congressmen may use "unfriendly" expressions. But, ministers still have the obligation to listen, since even coarse expressions represent the voice of the public.