United Future Party Demands By-election Candidates, Real Estate, and North Korea Nuclear Measures... "President Must Take Direct Action" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] On the 16th, Joo Ho-young, leader of the United Future Party, urged President Moon Jae-in, who was visiting the National Assembly for the opening speech, to clarify whether he plans to demand a 'no-candidacy' policy for by-elections. Along with a demand for a statement on the late Mayor Park Won-soon's sexual harassment case, he also requested answers regarding economic policies represented by income-led growth, as well as real estate and nuclear phase-out policies.

At an emergency press conference held at the National Assembly main building on the 16th, Floor Leader Joo asked, "There has been no mention at all from the President regarding the series of sexual crime cases involving Democratic Party-affiliated metropolitan governors such as Park Won-soon, Oh Keo-don, and Ahn Hee-jung. Does the President plan to apologize to the public and take responsible measures?"

On the same day, ahead of the National Assembly opening, Floor Leader Joo prepared ten questions related to President Moon's opening speech, stating, "The President should not only say what he wants but also what the people want to hear." The demand for the President's position on the late Mayor Park's case is one of those ten questions. The United Future Party plans to deliver these inquiries to the Blue House's Office of Political Affairs as well.

Referring to President Moon's past statement as party leader that "the party responsible for causing a by-election should not field a candidate," Floor Leader Joo said, "Within the ruling party, there are even open talks about changing the party constitution as soon as the funeral ends. As a responsible ruling party and President, please clarify whether you plan to take responsibility for your words and demand no candidacy from the ruling party."

Regarding the 'Yoon Mi-hyang incident,' he said, "The prosecution has not even summoned Representative Yoon for investigation yet. Does the President have any intention to personally step in to wipe the tears of the victims?" He added, "The public is not trying to deny the significance and value of the comfort women movement but is asking for the facts to be clarified regarding allegations that funds and taxpayers' money, intended for the grandmothers, were used for their own benefit or that accounting books were manipulated."

He also launched a fierce attack on the North Korean nuclear issue and inter-Korean relations. Floor Leader Joo said, "Please tell us whether you believe Chairman Kim Jong-un of North Korea will give up his nuclear weapons." He also requested the President to thoroughly explain to the public the reasons behind nominating former Representative Park Jie-won as the head of the National Intelligence Service amid tense and sensitive inter-Korean relations. He pointed out the insufficient honors given to the late General Paik Sun-yup and demanded the President's stance.

Regarding Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's exercise of investigative authority, Floor Leader Joo urged the President to express his position. He said, "Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl was personally appointed and trusted by the President, yet he is under pressure to resign from pro-Moon figures around the President. Why is the President silent?" He added, "Why does the Minister allow the Prosecutor General to be overridden and the Seoul District Prosecutor to act aggressively without intervention?" He also called for an explanation on why the President strongly advocates for the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) while not appointing a special inspector for three years since the start of the term.

Floor Leader Joo said, "On May 27, the President met with floor leaders of both ruling and opposition parties and repeatedly emphasized cooperation with the opposition, but the Democratic Party forced unprecedented parliamentary dictatorship in constitutional history by unilaterally electing the Speaker, forcibly assigning opposition members to standing committees, seizing the opposition's share of the Judiciary Committee chairmanship, and unilaterally reviewing and processing supplementary budgets." He requested, "Please tell us whether the President intends to make a practical request for cooperation to the Democratic Party."

Regarding income-led growth, he criticized it as a "total failure," saying, "Despite all experts continuously pointing out the problems of this policy, why does the President persist in maintaining a failed policy?" He added, "Will you consider changing a policy already proven to have failed through statistical data?"

On the Moon administration's real estate measures, Floor Leader Joo said, "The failure of real estate policies has caused considerable public dissatisfaction, and punitive taxation treating all homeowners as criminals is even provoking tax resistance." He requested, "Will you hold Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi accountable for the failure of real estate policies?"

He also demanded, "While talking about the Green New Deal, excluding nuclear power, a highly efficient clean energy source, contradicts the Green New Deal. Please tell us how long you will continue to uphold the nuclear phase-out policy."

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