PPP Slams DP's Unilateral Committee Chair Elections, Vows No Cooperation

South Korea's main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has sharply criticized the Democratic Party (DP) for unilaterally electing 11 standing committee chairpersons for the 22nd National Assembly. The PPP labeled the DP's actions as akin to a "runaway train" hurtling towards disaster and accused them of disrespecting the nation's primary opposition party. "We cannot cooperate in the slightest with this kind of National Assembly operation that insults the main opposition party, the partner in state affairs," said Choi Eun-seok, the PPP's senior deputy floor leader, in a statement. The PPP argued that the DP is ignoring the "cold public sentiment" revealed in recent local elections and opinion polls. The party had consistently demanded the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to maintain a minimum balance in the National Assembly's operations. However, the DP ultimately took this position as well, which the PPP believes is driven by an "obsession" with quashing the prosecution against party leader Lee Jae-myung. The PPP also questioned the DP's justification of "swiftly processing livelihood bills," asking how many of the unilaterally passed bills were genuinely for the public's benefit. They characterized the DP's legislative agenda as an attempt to shake South Korea's judicial system for the "revenge" of President Lee's self-pardon and to push the "common people's economy to the brink" with ideological amateur economic policies.

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We cannot cooperate in the slightest with this kind of National Assembly operation that insults the main opposition party, the partner in state affairs.