National Assembly Gridlock Created by Prime Minister’s Rough Words

The National Assembly addressed interpellations to the government during its plenary session on October 28, but the session was suspended in the afternoon because lawmakers of the GNP strongly opposed Prime Minister Lee Hae-Chan’s remarks repeatedly playing down the GNP, Dong-A Ilbo, and Chosun Ilbo.

The National Assembly gridlock of the plenary session occurred for the first time since the departure of the 17th National Assembly. Since the ruling and opposition parties are still acutely opposed to each other concerning the prime minister’s apology for his remarks, the plenary sessions appear to be crippled for the time being.

During a National Assembly interpellation session this morning Rep. Ahn Taek-su of the GNP asked the prime minister to apologize for his words, saying, “If the GNP took office, history will go backwards” during his round of visits to Europe. Prime Minister Lee, however, refused to do so, saying that “the GNP is a party that received a truckload of tens of billions of won in cash at an expressway rest stop. How can we say the GNP is a good political party?”

Prime Minister Lee also stated during his round of trips to Europe that “I just said what I usually feel, and I don’t have to take responsibility for that,” regarding his words that Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo are “historical traitors.”

The GNP held an urgent representatives general assembly right after Prime Minister Lee’s remarks and absolutely refused a schedule for National Assembly interpellation sessions by saying that “the prime minister’s rough remarks are a defilement of the people who supported the GNP and a violation of the Constitution.”

Meanwhile, some lawmakers of the ruling party criticized President Roh Moo-Hyun and Prime Minister Lee for taking hostile attitudes towards the opposition party and critical media outlets during the National Assembly interpellation sessions.

Rep. Kim Boo-kyum of the Uri Party pointed out that Korea’s political crisis has been caused by a superabundance of ideology and a lack of policies. He also commented on President Roh’s ideological remarks, such as the abolition of the National Security Law, and he criticized that “this is not an attitude that the president should take as head of the national administration.” He also scolded Prime Minister Lee, saying that “his recent remarks during his visits to Europe are something unworthy of the prime minister. Why does he bother to say ‘certain newspapers are historical traitors and all the people know that a certain party is bad?”

In response to this, lawmakers of the “Lawmakers’ Gathering for Stabilized Reform,” a conservative group within the party, poured out their complaints. Rep. Ahn Young-geun asked for an apology, saying, “That was too much. It is better to arrange it.”

Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com