Kim Ki-hyun "What Talks with Lee Hae-chan Ending Term in 10 Days... Blue House Show Sincerity"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Blue House revealed that it proposed a meeting between the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties to Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, but he declined. In response, Kim Ki-hyun, a United Future Party lawmaker, pointed out, "Inviting the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties must be timely," and urged, "Approach this with sincerity."

On the 18th, Kim appeared on KBS Radio's 'Kim Kyung-rae's Strongest Current Affairs' and said, "Choi Jae-sung (Senior Secretary for Political Affairs) is not a novice in politics, so I wonder if he is really the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs," expressing his criticism.

Earlier, Senior Secretary Choi stated, "We tried to arrange a meeting in August by inviting party leaders to discuss overall state affairs, but the United Future Party refused," while the United Future Party countered, "The Blue House never officially proposed such a meeting."

Kim said, "If the President invites the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties for a meeting, there should be prior coordination on the formal agenda, the timing, and the attendees," adding, "However, based on media reports and what I have heard, it seems Senior Secretary Choi just came as a new appointee and casually said, 'Let's have a meal sometime,' or something like that."

He added, "Inviting the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties must be timely," and questioned, "Representative Lee Hae-chan (of the Democratic Party of Korea) will end his term in ten days. If you call him and then sit down with our Emergency Committee Chairman for a meeting, what kind of ridiculous story is that?"

Kim criticized, "Just because someone casually said, 'Let's have a meal sometime,' and then the refusal of that was announced through the media as a rejection of a proposal, I thought, 'This is also being politically exploited,'" and urged, "I hope they approach this with more sincerity."

Kim also criticized the government for shifting the blame for its quarantine failures onto the United Future Party. He said, "Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon seems to have acted inappropriately during the August 15 Liberation Day rally, and he should be held accountable for that, but that is not the issue at all," adding, "Separately, why are they asking the United Future Party to take responsibility for that? It's utterly absurd."

He continued, "How can the opposition party be responsible for quarantine? Does the opposition have command over quarantine? Do they have budget execution authority?" and added, "The opposition is actively cooperating with quarantine efforts, but they are trying to impose a frame on the opposition by blaming them."

Regarding former and current United Future Party lawmakers attending the rally, he said, "It was very inappropriate for the Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon to hold a funeral when COVID-19 was widespread, but why is no one held accountable for gathering tens of thousands of people like that?" The rally was not organized by the United Future Party or our party's lawmakers; it was organized by civil society groups. Just because some former or current lawmakers attended, it is absurd to suggest the opposition party has any quarantine responsibility."

He added, "If that's the case, hold Representative Lee accountable for attending Mayor Park's funeral. Immediately hold Acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jeong-hyeop responsible and detain him. Wouldn't that be the right thing to do?" He concluded, "I don't understand why they are so eager to blame those who attended."

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