Ruling and Opposition Parties in a Full-scale War

On Wednesday, the Grand National Party (GNP) decided to attend the National Assembly on the basis of the apology made by Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan regarding his disparaging remarks that precipitated a National Assembly standoff. Accordingly, both the ruling and opposition parties decided to resume the interpellation session by holding a National Assembly plenary session on Thursday.

On the same day, GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hye stated at the general meeting of the assembly members that “even though Prime Minister Lee’s apology is not sufficient, we have decided to attend the National Assembly for the people. We should stop (the ruling party’s) four major legislations from passing with a resolute stance to vindicate our party’s dignity.”

In a briefing after the general meeting, GNP spokesman Yim Tae-hee stated, “We will confront the issue as if Prime Minister Lee has been discharged from his position since the chairman of the National Assembly and even the Uri Party acknowledged the prime minister’s mistake.” Accordingly, it is predicted that the dispute between the ruling and the opposition party will blow into a full-scale war on the matter surrounding the four major legislations, including the abolishment of the National Security Law, carried out by the Uri Party.

In the press meeting, Uri Party Chairman Lee Bu-young said, “If the mountain is too high, one should take the long way around, and if the water is too deep, one should take the hard way and look for the shallow areas. Like the old saying that one should inspect the resting place before stretching one’s legs, the ruling party should listen to the people before putting their agendas into action,” suggesting an adjustment of the tempo to enact the four major legislations.

However, the GNP has decided to carry out the plan and hold a “Rupture of national affairs and preventing the vicious four major legislations from passing as laws” national grand debate at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on Thursday morning in an effort to inform the injustice of the four major legislations.

Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com