Kim Boo-kyum: "Who dares to glare and call it dictatorship... Come to the National Assembly and oppose it"

Kim Boo-kyum, a candidate running for the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding a press conference at the briefing room of Busan Metropolitan Council on the 31st. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Min Jun-young Intern Reporter] On the 30th, as the ruling party Future United Party members protested the passage of the 'Three Lease Laws' at the National Assembly plenary session, former lawmaker Kim Boo-kyum, who is running for the Democratic Party leadership, criticized, saying, "Who is glaring and calling it dictatorship?"

In a post on his Facebook on the 31st, former lawmaker Kim said, "'Parliamentary dictatorship,' 'legislative dictatorship,' 'second Yushin dictatorship.' These are the harsh words the Future United Party is throwing at the Democratic Party. No matter how upset you are, you should not use the word dictatorship lightly. I know well because I have fought against dictatorship," he said.

He said, "First, dictatorship means restricting fundamental rights," adding, "Where else in the world are freedom of the press, assembly, publication, and association as well guaranteed as in South Korea? Currently, the freedom of the press index under the Moon Jae-in administration ranks first in Asia."

He continued, "Second, whether there was any fraud in the elections. Where else in the world is election transparency as well guaranteed as in our country?" He pointed out, "The Moon Jae-in administration came to power through transparent elections, and the Democratic Party secured 180 seats. This was created by the people. Representative democracy means reflecting the will of the people accordingly."

He then said, "The bills our Democratic Party passed yesterday are the 'Three Real Estate Laws' and the 'Three Follow-up Laws for the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).' Housing stability is a core task for people's livelihood," adding, "Stabilizing the overheated market is a natural responsibility as the ruling party. People are suffering due to the overheated real estate market."

He also said, "Timing is important for laws that regulate the market," adding, "If you drag out negotiations with the opposition party that has no intention to debate, even if the bills pass, they often have little effect. Experts agree that if delayed for two more months, the market would have fallen into greater chaos."

Furthermore, Kim said, "The current CIO law already grants veto power to the first opposition party. Therefore, if the opposition does not agree, the CIO chief cannot be appointed, but they are blocking the launch of the CIO itself," questioning, "Haven't they already been judged in the 21st general election for obstruction and unconditional opposition?"

He then addressed the United Party, saying, "Our Democratic Party has infinite responsibility as the ruling party. We will listen to opposing opinions, so come into the National Assembly and oppose. Aren't you tired of always resorting to street protests?" He criticized, "Don't try to drag us down like drowning ghosts. The damage goes back to the people, so it's time for the United Party to rethink the basic operating principles of democracy."

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