Ruling party leader on hunger strike should join parliamentary inspection of government

The first parliamentary inspection of government by the 20th National Assembly was paralyzed from Day 1 due to extreme confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties as a result of the opposition’s drive to dismiss Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs Minister Kim Jae-soo. Of the 12 standing committees that were set to take place on Monday, five committees chaired by the ruling Saenuri Party failed to be held as the party declared "boycott of parliamentary government inspection." Some of the remaining seven standing committees were also adjourned, and the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee effectively considered the minister an "invisible man" while in session, and only asked questions to the vice minister, which looked awkward at best. It is feared that the nation will see the 20th National Assembly, which already have had four disruptions in proceeding in as many months since its opening, will fail to meet even the performance of the 19th National Assembly, which was considered "the worst ever."

Calling National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun a "lawmaker," Saenuri Party Chairman Lee Jung-hyun said, “I have decided to risk my own life to restore parliamentary democracy that was destroyed by Rep. Chung,” and began a hunger strike for an indefinite period until Chung’s resignation. In the course of passing the motion to dismiss the troubled minister early Saturday morning, Chung said, “(They) are asking to give up either the Sewol ferry case (extension of the duration of the special committee on investigation into the Sewol disaster)…, or the Korea Parent Federation (parliamentary hearing). We cannot give them up without anything in return.” The opposition camp demanded the two measures as precondition for its withdrawal of the motion to dismiss the minister to seek political bargaining. The National Assembly Speaker, who must strictly keep political neutrality, thus made the remarks that are almost like statement by the main opposition party spokesman.

Speaker Chung suggested that the National Assembly postpone the parliamentary inspection of government by two to three days, but he should admit that he is gravely responsible for the disruptions in parliamentary politics. He should first apologize for impartially leading the National Assembly in favor of the opposition camp: he changed agendas early Saturday morning after just sending a written notice to the ruling party floor leader, and thereby end politics of confrontation. In his speech for the opening of the regular session of the National Assembly, Chung also expressed his personal opinion that was highly biased toward a certain political faction about the planned deployment of the terminal high-altitude area defense system in South Korea, which caused disruptions in parliamentary proceeding once already. Is Chung, who is the referee, going to serve as a player in the 20th National Assembly, which is poised to face intense confrontation between the rival parties to end up creating a soap opera of immorality’?

Even so, it is not a responsible act for the ruling party to boycott the parliamentary inspection of the government as well. The ruling party can spawn unnecessary misunderstanding if it boycotts the parliamentary inspection of government at a time when a flurry of sensitive political issues have yet to be addressed, including the Mir Foundation and the K-Sports Foundation and senior presidential secretary for political affairs Woo Byung-woo. In an opposition-controlled National Assembly, the parliamentary session can take place even without the ruling party’s participation. The ruling party should attend parliamentary inspection of government even just to block the opposition parties from making unconditional and irresponsible revelations of suspicions, defaming witnesses, and obstructing administration of state affairs.

The ruling party chairman should also regain his dignity and stature by spearheading larger national agendas, rather than taking showy tours to inspect people’s livelihoods or going on hunger strike, which is only aimed at addressing minor issues. If he simply follows the presidential office’s hardline stance through hunger strike, the party will only be ridiculed as being a subsidiary agency of the presidential office.

박제균논설위원 phark@donga.com