Bae Jun-young: "Ruling party, if confident, take all 18 standing committees and take responsibility"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Bae Jun-young, spokesperson for the United Future Party, said that the ruling party does not recognize the opposition as a partner in national governance and stated, "If the ruling party is so confident, they should take charge of all 18 standing committees and take responsibility."

Spokesperson Bae appeared on BBS Park Kyung-soo's Morning Journal on the morning of the 26th and said, "If they continue with unilateral dominance and just want us to stand as mere bystanders, we inevitably find ourselves in a difficult position."

He added, "Everything actually depends on whether the ruling party sees the opposition as a partner in parliamentary operations or not," and questioned, "Isn't the Democratic Party of Korea just hoping for us to applaud during the president's policy speech or to be shown sitting in the seats of the 18 standing committees?"

Spokesperson Bae said, "Until now, they loudly declared that they would take all 18 standing committee chairmanships based on the principle of majority rule and winner-takes-all. So our consistent position is that if the ruling party is that confident, they should take charge of all 18 standing committees and take responsibility," adding, "If the ruling party wants to coexist with the opposition, the National Assembly will soon normalize and the standing committees will open."

He also said, "On the other hand, a separate special committee could be formed to conduct a national audit," and continued, "There are many suspicions surrounding Representative Yoon Mi-hyang, but it seems that none have been properly clarified. Also, regarding North Korea policy, the public has real suspicions about former U.S. National Security Advisor Bolton's memoirs, but the Blue House and the ruling party government have not provided proper explanations or factual announcements."

He maintained the existing stance of refusing cooperation unless the ruling party relinquishes the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee. Spokesperson Bae emphasized, "The statement that the Judiciary Committee chairmanship is the last bastion for the opposition to protect democracy was not only our claim but also a principle upheld by major figures of the Democratic Party and opposition leaders who have led the National Assembly," and stressed, "Although this issue was triggered around the Judiciary Committee, it reflects how the ruling party views the opposition and how the relationship should be reestablished. This should be the first step toward normalizing the National Assembly."

Regarding the direct inspection of Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, he pointed out, "Originally, inspections are supposed to be conducted separately for disciplinary purposes after the prosecution investigation is completed, which is the principle," and criticized, "They are shaking the rule of law in the Republic of Korea based on suspicion rather than law."

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