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박근혜 대통령은 18일 국회 시정연설에서 "최근 야당이 제기하고 있는 여러 문제들을 포함해 무엇이든 국회에서 여야가 충분히 논의해 합의점을 찾아주신다면 저는 존중하고 받아들일 것"이라고 말했다.
박 대통령은 이날 취임 후 처음으로 국회에서 한 내년도 예산안에 대한 시정연설에서 "정부는 여야 어느 한쪽의 의견이나 개인적인 의견에 따라 움직일 수는 없다. 국회에서 여야간 합의해주신다면 국민의 뜻으로 받아들이겠다"며 이같이 밝혔다.
이러한 박 대통령의 언급은 국가기관의 대선개입 의혹에 대한 야당의 특검요구도 여야 합의가 전제된다면 조건없이 수용할 수 있음을 시사한 것이어서 주목된다. 앞서 박 대통령은 지난달 31일 수석비서관 회의에서 이 의혹에 대해 "진행중인 사법부 판단과 결과를 기다려야 한다"며 사실상 야권의 특검 수용 요구에 응할 뜻이 없음을 우회적으로 밝힌 바 있다.
박 대통령의 이 같은 태도 변화는 꽉막힌 대치정국을 해소하지 않으면 내년 예산안과 각종 민생법안은 물론 황찬현 감사원장 인준안 등의 국회 처리가 차질을 빚는 등 국정운영이 심각한 위기에 빠질 수밖에 없다는 현실 인식에 따른 것으로 풀이된다.
또 박 대통령은 "정치의 중심은 국회이며 저는 국회 안에서 논의하지 못할 주제가 없다고 생각한다"며 "저는 국회를 존중하기 위하여 앞으로 매년 정기국회 때마다 대통령이 직접 국회에서 시정연설을 하며 의원 여러분들의 협조를 구하는 새로운 정치문화를 만들어 가겠다"고 말했다.
다만 박 대통령은 "대선을 치른지 1년이 돼가고 있는데 지금까지도 대립과 갈등이 계속되는 것에 대해 대통령으로서 매우 안타깝게 생각한다"며 유감을 표명한 뒤 "정부는 국민적 의혹이 제기된 사안들에 대해 이른 시일 내에 국민 앞에 진상을 명확하게 밝히고 사법부의 판단이 나오는대로 책임을 물을 일이 있다면 반드시 응분의 조치를 취할 것"이라고 말했다.
특히 "이제는 대립과 갈등을 끝내고 정부의 의지와 사법부의 판단을 믿고 기다려 줄 것을 호소한다"며 국가기관 대선개입 의혹과 관련해서는 검찰과 법원의 처리를 지켜보자는 기존의 입장을 거듭 강조했다.
박 대통령은 국가정보원 개혁 문제에 대해서는 "정부는 내년 지방선거를 비롯해 앞으로 어떤 선거에서도 정치개입의 의혹을 추호도 받는 일이 없도록 공직기강을 엄정히 세워가겠다"며 "국가정보기관 개혁방안도 국회에 곧 제출할 예정인 만큼 국회에서 심도있게 논의하고 검토해달라"며 '국정원 자체 개혁안 마련 후 국회 논의' 방안을 고수했다.
이어 박 대통령은 내년도 예산안과 관련, "내년 예산안은 경기회복세를 확실하게 살려가기 위해 경제활성화와 일자리 창출에 가장 큰 역점을 두었다"며 "경제활성화와 일자리 창출은 국회와 정부, 여와 야가 따로 있을 수 없다"고 강조했다.
그러면서 "외국인투자촉진법안, 관광분야투자활성화법안, 주택시장 정상화법안, 창조경제구현을 위한 중소기업창업지원법안 등 일자리를 만들고 경제를 살리는 법안이 국회통과를 기다리고 있다"며 "소득세법안과 주택법안이 통과돼야 우리 경제회복을 위해 중요한 주택경기가 활성화될 수 있다"고 설명했다.
또 "이런 법안들이 제 때 통과되지 못하면 회복기미를 보이고 있는 우리 경제가 다시 침체의 늪에 빠지게 될 수도 있을 것"이라며 "이번 정기국회에서 이들 법안이 꼭 통과되도록 협조해줄 것을 간곡히 부탁드린다"며 정치권의 협조를 당부했다.
박 대통령은 복지확대 약속에 대해 "노후가 불안하지 않고 질병과 가난으로부터 보호받으며 아이를 낳고 기르는 것이 진정한 축복이 돼야 국민행복시대의 토대가 구축될 것"이라며 내년 7월 기초연금제 도입을 목표로 예산 5조2천억원을 반영한 사실과 국민기초생활보장법안을 제출한 사실을 보고했다.
아울러 "정부는 지난 시대의 잘못된 관행과 제도를 정상화하는데 역점을 두고 새로운 변화와 도전을 추진할 것"이라며 "원전과 방위사업, 철도시설, 문화재 분야 등 각 분야의 구조적이고 고질적 비리를 반드시 척결하겠다. 공공부문부터 솔선해 개혁에 나서고 이번 국정감사에서 지적된 공공기관의 방만 경영과 예산낭비가 반복되지 않도록 철저히 해 나가겠다"고 밝혔다.
박 대통령은 북핵문제 및 한반도 평화방안과 관련, "반드시 임기중 평화통일을 위한 기반을 구축하고 북한이 국제사회의 책임있는 일원으로 변화할 수 있도록 모든 노력을 다할 것"이라며 "북한이 국제사회와 약속을 지키고 대화와 협력으로 나오면 제가 제안한 유라시아 철도를 연결해 부산을 출발, 북한과 러시아, 중국, 중앙아시아, 유럽을 관통하는 실크로드 익스프레스(SRX)를 열어갈 수 있을 것"이라고 약속했다.
<관련 영문 기사>
Park's speech riles opposition
President Park Geun-hye on Monday urged the rival parties to reconcile with each other in her first speech at the National Assembly, putting the ball back in the court of the opposition, which immediately responded by stepping up its protest.
“If the rival parties at the National Assembly seek out an agreement on many issues raised by the opposition, as well as on any other topic, I will respect and accept it,” Park said in her 28-minute-long speech urging parliamentary approval of the 2014 budget.
“The government cannot move based on any one-sided view of either the ruling or the opposition party, or based on a personal opinion. An agreement by the rival parties shall be accepted as the wish of the people.”
Most of her speech was dedicated to detailing her key policy plans, including her vision for a creative economy that will lead to job creation, and her diplomatic efforts to connect to a Eurasian rail link.
Members of the main opposition Democratic Party joined the others to stand up and clap as Park entered the Assembly hall, but remained mostly aloof and agitated throughout, while the ruling Saenuri Party members applauded 35 times during the speech.
The Unified Progressive Party lawmakers, currently staging a hunger strike to protest the injunction against it by the government, also sat through the session, their heads shaven from a previous protest, wearing masks that said “democracy,” and holding up posters calling for withdrawal of the government’s move to close the party down.
Unfazed by the visible tension, Park entered the hall smiling, nodding at her former colleagues, and delivered her speech, scanning the room and occasionally waving her hand for emphasis.
This was Park’s third visit to the Assembly since her election. She had attended her inauguration ceremony in front of the Assembly hall, followed by three-way talks with the leaders of the two main parties on Sept. 16.
In her speech, Park reiterated her principle of refraining from political discussion by saying, “The center of politics is the Assembly and I believe there is no topic that cannot be discussed here. In a show of my respect to the Assembly, I will directly deliver the budget speech every year and seek your cooperation for sake of creating a new political culture.”
She also repeated her initial position of awaiting the results of prosecutorial investigations into several contentious issues including the National Intelligence Service’s alleged interference in last year’s presidential election.
Park then pledged strict discipline amongst government agencies to prevent any allegations from arising of their political interference in future elections including the local elections next year.
To the opposition’s demand for NIS reform, Park maintained that related measures should be prepared first by the agency to be discussed in the Assembly afterward.
Park spent most of her time encouraging support for her budget plans to begin her economic recovery and job employment measures. She also urged swift passage of pending bills on activating foreign and tourism investment, normalizing the housing market, and subsiding start-up businesses.
Park said she remained committed to her welfare expansion plans and that 5.2 trillion won had been set aside to introduce the basic pension system from next July.
Also mentioned were her intention to eradicate chronic corruption in the fields of nuclear power, defense, railway and cultural assets.
On foreign affairs, Park said, “I will exert all my efforts to establish the foundation for peace and unification and for North Korea to change into a responsible member of the international community within my term.”
Park stressed that her proposed Eurasia initiative to open the new “Silk Road Express” connecting from Busan to Europe through North Korea, Russia, China and Central Asia would be possible when Pyongyang steps toward dialogue and cooperation.
Park is the fourth president to have directly delivered the budget speech, but such speeches have never been received warmly by opposition parties.
The first was delivered by former President Roh Tae-woo in 1988, who was shunned by the opposition for being passive in pardoning prisoners of conscience. The speech by former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2003 was coldly received in the midst of corruption cases surrounding his associates, while former President Lee Myung-bak’s delivery in 2008 was condemned upon the U.S. beef import controversy.
By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)
Park's speech riles opposition
President Park Geun-hye on Monday urged the rival parties to reconcile with each other in her first speech at the National Assembly, putting the ball back in the court of the opposition, which immediately responded by stepping up its protest.
“If the rival parties at the National Assembly seek out an agreement on many issues raised by the opposition, as well as on any other topic, I will respect and accept it,” Park said in her 28-minute-long speech urging parliamentary approval of the 2014 budget.
“The government cannot move based on any one-sided view of either the ruling or the opposition party, or based on a personal opinion. An agreement by the rival parties shall be accepted as the wish of the people.”
Most of her speech was dedicated to detailing her key policy plans, including her vision for a creative economy that will lead to job creation, and her diplomatic efforts to connect to a Eurasian rail link.
Members of the main opposition Democratic Party joined the others to stand up and clap as Park entered the Assembly hall, but remained mostly aloof and agitated throughout, while the ruling Saenuri Party members applauded 35 times during the speech.
The Unified Progressive Party lawmakers, currently staging a hunger strike to protest the injunction against it by the government, also sat through the session, their heads shaven from a previous protest, wearing masks that said “democracy,” and holding up posters calling for withdrawal of the government’s move to close the party down.
Unfazed by the visible tension, Park entered the hall smiling, nodding at her former colleagues, and delivered her speech, scanning the room and occasionally waving her hand for emphasis.
This was Park’s third visit to the Assembly since her election. She had attended her inauguration ceremony in front of the Assembly hall, followed by three-way talks with the leaders of the two main parties on Sept. 16.
In her speech, Park reiterated her principle of refraining from political discussion by saying, “The center of politics is the Assembly and I believe there is no topic that cannot be discussed here. In a show of my respect to the Assembly, I will directly deliver the budget speech every year and seek your cooperation for sake of creating a new political culture.”
She also repeated her initial position of awaiting the results of prosecutorial investigations into several contentious issues including the National Intelligence Service’s alleged interference in last year’s presidential election.
Park then pledged strict discipline amongst government agencies to prevent any allegations from arising of their political interference in future elections including the local elections next year.
To the opposition’s demand for NIS reform, Park maintained that related measures should be prepared first by the agency to be discussed in the Assembly afterward.
Park spent most of her time encouraging support for her budget plans to begin her economic recovery and job employment measures. She also urged swift passage of pending bills on activating foreign and tourism investment, normalizing the housing market, and subsiding start-up businesses.
Park said she remained committed to her welfare expansion plans and that 5.2 trillion won had been set aside to introduce the basic pension system from next July.
Also mentioned were her intention to eradicate chronic corruption in the fields of nuclear power, defense, railway and cultural assets.
On foreign affairs, Park said, “I will exert all my efforts to establish the foundation for peace and unification and for North Korea to change into a responsible member of the international community within my term.”
Park stressed that her proposed Eurasia initiative to open the new “Silk Road Express” connecting from Busan to Europe through North Korea, Russia, China and Central Asia would be possible when Pyongyang steps toward dialogue and cooperation.
Park is the fourth president to have directly delivered the budget speech, but such speeches have never been received warmly by opposition parties.
The first was delivered by former President Roh Tae-woo in 1988, who was shunned by the opposition for being passive in pardoning prisoners of conscience. The speech by former President Roh Moo-hyun in 2003 was coldly received in the midst of corruption cases surrounding his associates, while former President Lee Myung-bak’s delivery in 2008 was condemned upon the U.S. beef import controversy.
By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)
