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Jung's paternity reveal exposes where Korea stands on extramarital babies
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Samsung entangled in legal risks amid calls for drastic reform
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Heavy snow alerts issued in greater Seoul area, Gangwon Province; over 20 cm of snow seen in Seoul
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Agency says Jung Woo-sung unsure on awards attendance after lovechild revelations
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K-pop fandoms wield growing influence over industry decisions
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Korea's auto industry braces for Trump’s massive tariffs in Mexico
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Seoul blanketed by heaviest Nov. snow, with more expected
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민주당 김한길 대표가 29일 "직을 걸고 싸우겠다"고 배수의 진을 쳤다. 전날 이뤄진 새누리당의 황찬형 감사원장 후보자에 대한 임명동의안 단독처리에 반발, 국회 의사일정 전면 보이콧에 들어가면서 초강경투쟁을 예고한 것이다.
무소속 안철수 의원의 신당 창당 움직임과 전날 강행처리에 따른 당내 후폭풍 등으로 민주당이 내우외환에 직면한 벼랑 끝 상황에서 자신의 거취 문제까지 거론하며 승부수를 던진 셈이다.
김 대표는 이날 의원총회 마무리발언을 통해 "하루이틀 보이콧한다는 계산을 한다면 착오"라며 "많은 의원들이 국회 정상화를 바라겠지만 비상한 시기이니만큼 모든 것을 걸고 싸우겠다"고 밝혔다고 민병두 전략홍보본부장이 전했다.
그는 트위터에 "국민께 송구한 줄 알면서도 참담한 심정으로 이 길밖에 없다고 판단했다"는 글을 남기기도 했다.
의회주의자를 자임해온 김 대표가 강경파에 휘둘린다는 비난을 각오하면서까지 '출구없는 투쟁'을 선언한 것은 일차적으로 엄중한 상황인식에서 비롯된 것이지만, 일사불란한 대오를 유지함으로써 대여 압박효과를 높이려는 '내부 단속용' 차원과도 무관치 않아 보인다.
임명안 강행처리 후 당내 여진을 조기에 수습하지 않으면 적전분열로 치달으면서 대여투쟁의 동력만 떨어질 수 있다는 문제의식에서다. 전날 의원총회에서 지도부 일원인 신경민 최고위원이 "누군가 책임져야 한다"며 원내 지도부를 겨냥하는가 하면 이날 비공개 최고위원회의에서 조경태 우원식 최고위원이 또한차례 설전을 벌이는 등 '집안싸움'도 계속 이어지는 상황이었다.
이날 의총 비공개 부분에서도 원내 지도부 비판론이 계속 고개를 드는 등 향후 대여 전략을 놓고 격론이 벌어진 것으로 전해졌다.
박지원, 한정애 의원 등은 보이콧에 따른 여론악화 가능성에 우려를 제기했고, 한 중진 의원은 "지금 민주당은 지리멸렬, 오합지졸의 위기상황으로, 제대로 된 전술이 없다"며 "의원이 된 뒤 이런 상황은 처음"이라고 쓴소리를 했다고 한다.
전 원내대표는 의총 모두발언에서 "참담함, 미안함, 죄송함 등으로 한숨도 못 잤다"며 '멘붕'(멘탈붕괴)란 말로 자신의 심정을 토로하기도 했다.
어수선한 분위기가 이어지자 김 대표가 "직을 걸겠다"는 말로 총대를 메며 상황을 정리하는 것으로 의총은 마무리됐다.
박수현 원내대변인은 의총 후 브리핑에서 "단일대오로 뭉쳐 지도부에게 힘을 모아주고 구체적 대응방법도 지도부에 위임키로 했다"고 밝혔다.
민주당은 황 후보자 임명동의안을 상정한 강창희 국회의장을 정조준, 내달 2일 강 의장에 대한 사퇴촉구결의안을 제출키로 하는 등 강력대응에 나섰다. 앞서 의총에서는 강 의장의 사회권 거부와 헌재 위헌소송 제기, 침묵 시위 등 다양한 의견도 제기됐으며, 전 원내대표는 오후 강 의장을 항의방문하기도 했다.
민주당은 내달 2일 정책의총을 여는 것을 비롯, 정책위 및 상임위별 활동을 자체 가동하며 민생문제에 대한 자체 논의도 이어가기로 했다. 의사일정 전면거부로 인해 민생을 외면한다는 여론의 역풍을 의식한 행보이다.
그러나 김 대표로선 돌파구 마련이 쉽지 않다는 게 현실적 고민이다. '양특'(특검•특위) 요구 관철 의지도 불태우고 있지만 새누리당은 특검에 대해 현재로선 요지부동인 탓이다. 여야간 물밑대화 채널도 일단 끊긴 가운데 보이콧 장기화에 따른 여론의 부담도 감수해야 하는 처지이다.
당 핵심 관계자는 "김 대표는 '백척간두 진일보'(百尺竿頭進一步 •백자나 되는 높은 장대 위에서 또한걸음 나아간다는 뜻)의 심정으로 임하고 있다"고 말했다.
<관련 영문 기사>
DP halts National Assembly over audit chief appointment
By Choi He-suk
The National Assembly ground to a halt on Friday as the main opposition Democratic Party boycotted all procedures in protest of the Saenuri Party’s decision to push through Board of Audit and Inspection chief Hwang Chan-hyon.
On Thursday, National Assembly speaker Rep. Kang Chang-hee put Hwang’s appointment up to a vote against strong opposition from the DP. The motion was approved with 154 of the 159 legislators who took part in the vote approving Hwang as the new BAI chief. The ruling party holds 155 of the 300 parliamentary seats.
The DP has delayed approving Hwang’s appointment, saying that Minister of Health and Welfare nominee Moon Hyung-pyo must step down. With Hwang’s nomination now approved, observers say that President Park Geun-hye may push ahead with the appointments of Moon, and Prosecutor General nominee Kim Jin-tae.
“The DP will stop taking part in legislative procedures. It was judged that this was the only way, despite being sorry to the people. This is because the DP cannot become a bystander in a single-party show,” DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil said at Friday’s general meeting.
Following Hwang’s appointment, DP lawmakers claimed that Kang violated the National Assembly Act in putting the motion to a vote using his authority, and that their voting rights were violated. According to the DP’s Rep. Park Beom-kye, Kang ended voting despite DP lawmakers clearly saying that they would cast their ballots.
“This is the only way to prevent the supercilious actions of those in power, who are steeped in arrogance and self-righteousness.”
He added that the parliamentary speaker and Cheong Wa Dae should be ashamed for turning the National Assembly into a “hand raiser.” Kim also claimed that Thursday’s developments were a declaration of the ruling party and the government denying the opposition party’s role.
Later in the afternoon, Kim was also quoted by DP lawmakers as saying that he would put his chairmanship on the line to bring the interparty conflict to an end.
For its part, the ruling party is rejecting the DP’s claims, and calling on opposition lawmakers to resume their duties. Saying that Hwang’s appointment was processed without any procedural irregularities, Saenuri Party floor leader Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan accused the DP of ridiculous demands.
“A provisional budget must be prevented. The situation now is that even working day and night without rest would not be enough,” Choi said.
“I sternly urge the DP to realize what is it that the people want, and to take a logical position from the point of view of the people.”
With interparty relations deteriorating with less than two weeks left in the regular session of the National Assembly, concerns are rising that drawing up a provisional budget for next year may be unavoidable. The 100-day National Assembly session is scheduled to end on Dec. 10.
Although the parliamentary Special Committee on Budget and Accounts was scheduled to begin revising the government’s budget plans on Friday, related procedures have been put on hold due to the DP’s boycott.
(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
DP halts National Assembly over audit chief appointment
By Choi He-suk
The National Assembly ground to a halt on Friday as the main opposition Democratic Party boycotted all procedures in protest of the Saenuri Party’s decision to push through Board of Audit and Inspection chief Hwang Chan-hyon.
On Thursday, National Assembly speaker Rep. Kang Chang-hee put Hwang’s appointment up to a vote against strong opposition from the DP. The motion was approved with 154 of the 159 legislators who took part in the vote approving Hwang as the new BAI chief. The ruling party holds 155 of the 300 parliamentary seats.
The DP has delayed approving Hwang’s appointment, saying that Minister of Health and Welfare nominee Moon Hyung-pyo must step down. With Hwang’s nomination now approved, observers say that President Park Geun-hye may push ahead with the appointments of Moon, and Prosecutor General nominee Kim Jin-tae.
“The DP will stop taking part in legislative procedures. It was judged that this was the only way, despite being sorry to the people. This is because the DP cannot become a bystander in a single-party show,” DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil said at Friday’s general meeting.
Following Hwang’s appointment, DP lawmakers claimed that Kang violated the National Assembly Act in putting the motion to a vote using his authority, and that their voting rights were violated. According to the DP’s Rep. Park Beom-kye, Kang ended voting despite DP lawmakers clearly saying that they would cast their ballots.
“This is the only way to prevent the supercilious actions of those in power, who are steeped in arrogance and self-righteousness.”
He added that the parliamentary speaker and Cheong Wa Dae should be ashamed for turning the National Assembly into a “hand raiser.” Kim also claimed that Thursday’s developments were a declaration of the ruling party and the government denying the opposition party’s role.
Later in the afternoon, Kim was also quoted by DP lawmakers as saying that he would put his chairmanship on the line to bring the interparty conflict to an end.
For its part, the ruling party is rejecting the DP’s claims, and calling on opposition lawmakers to resume their duties. Saying that Hwang’s appointment was processed without any procedural irregularities, Saenuri Party floor leader Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan accused the DP of ridiculous demands.
“A provisional budget must be prevented. The situation now is that even working day and night without rest would not be enough,” Choi said.
“I sternly urge the DP to realize what is it that the people want, and to take a logical position from the point of view of the people.”
With interparty relations deteriorating with less than two weeks left in the regular session of the National Assembly, concerns are rising that drawing up a provisional budget for next year may be unavoidable. The 100-day National Assembly session is scheduled to end on Dec. 10.
Although the parliamentary Special Committee on Budget and Accounts was scheduled to begin revising the government’s budget plans on Friday, related procedures have been put on hold due to the DP’s boycott.
(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
