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. 


By Choi He-suk
(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)