Hong Joon-pyo "Leaders Must Take Responsibility" Criticizes Hwang Kyo-ahn and Na Kyung-won

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han, Intern Reporter Joohee Kang] Independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo strongly criticized former Future United Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn and former floor leader Na Kyung-won, saying "If you are a leader, take responsibility," referring to the National Assembly fast-track (rapid processing agenda) clash incident that occurred last year.

On the 28th, Hong posted on his Facebook, saying, "If you want to save the nine elected lawmakers even now, you must argue that 'all responsibility lies with the two of us in the leadership,' 'the lawmakers only made the mistake of following orders,' and 'please show leniency to the lawmakers.'"

He explained, "When the ruling and opposition parties were in extreme confrontation over the fast-track incident in November last year, I visited Hwang Kyo-ahn's hunger strike site and urged him to reach an agreement with the Democratic Party," adding, "The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Act is a government organization law, and we can abolish it when we come to power, so I advised to pass it and to block the bizarre election law. The biggest reason for this advice was to protect the indicted lawmakers."

Hong criticized, "However, both loudly claimed they would block it, and even boasted at the party meeting that if legal problems arise later, Hwang and floor leader Na Kyung-won, both lawyers, would take full responsibility," and "Floor leader Na Kyung-won even incited extreme struggle by mentioning additional points for party nominations."

He continued, "What happened afterward? Both laws were forcibly passed, additional points for nominations were not given, many lawmakers were dropped from nominations, and the nine incumbent lawmakers who were re-nominated and elected are now shackled by judicial procedures," criticizing, "The defense arguments of the two lawyers representing the party during the two pretrial procedures were astonishing."

He added, "When I heard the request to testify that the lawmakers acted voluntarily, I doubted my ears," and "At that time, could the lawmakers have disobeyed the leadership holding the nomination rights? That is an absurd and irresponsible defense."

Finally, he added, "It is said that in President Truman's office, who decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, there was a phrase saying 'The buck stops here!'"

Earlier, in April last year, the ruling and opposition parties fiercely clashed, including physical fights, during the process of designating the election law and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Act as fast-track agendas. As a result, 28 members of the 20th National Assembly were prosecuted. At that time, 23 lawmakers from the Liberty Korea Party were indicted, and among them, nine lawmakers were elected to the 21st National Assembly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.