Ruling Party Official Tests Positive, Leading to Visits to Ruling and Opposition Leaders' Homes... Party-Government-Cheong Wa Dae Consultations Also Postponed

-People Power Party Official Tests Positive for COVID-19
-Ruling and Opposition Leaders on Home Quarantine
-Lee Nak-yeon Isolated Again Three Days After Return
-'Second Disaster Relief Fund' High-Level Party-Government Meeting Also Canceled
-National Assembly Schedule 'All Stop'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The National Assembly was partially closed again after a member of the People Power Party staff working at the National Assembly tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. All official schedules between the ruling and opposition parties were completely canceled, and the party leaders, including Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Jong-in, emergency committee chairman, entered self-quarantine at home.

The Secretariat of the National Assembly and the People Power Party announced on the 3rd that a People Power Party staff member working in the main building of the National Assembly tested positive for COVID-19. The Secretariat has currently closed the 1st and 2nd floors of the main building and the Communication Hall, and has begun emergency disinfection and epidemiological investigation.

Kim, the emergency committee chairman, Joo Ho-young, floor leader, and Lee Jong-bae, policy committee chairman, all canceled their schedules and returned home. Lee entered self-quarantine. There is also a possibility that the ruling party leadership, including Lee, who had contact with the People Power Party leadership on the 1st, and Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party, will enter quarantine depending on subsequent test results. Lee became someone who works from home again just three days after returning.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As the ruling party leadership could not leave their homes, the high-level party-government-office meeting scheduled for that evening to discuss the second emergency disaster relief fund was also canceled. A Democratic Party official said, "The high-level party-government-office meeting scheduled for today will be postponed to tomorrow," adding, "The specific time and place will be coordinated after confirming the test results of the opposition party leadership."

All official schedules within the National Assembly were also canceled. On that day, the Budget and Accounts Special Committee’s settlement review subcommittee held its first meeting from 10 a.m. in the main building’s small conference room to discuss the 2019 fiscal year settlement. The subcommittee planned to resume the meeting at 3 p.m. but canceled it due to the COVID-19 positive case.

Chu Kyung-ho, subcommittee chairman from the People Power Party, announced in the afternoon, "Today's meeting will not resume," and "Tomorrow's (4th) meeting will be notified later according to the National Assembly’s policy." He also added, "The schedule is until the 8th." The subcommittee planned to complete the review and approve the settlement on the 7th.

Additionally, at 4:30 p.m. that day, the visit of Xing Haiming, Chinese Ambassador to Korea, to Song Young-gil, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of China’s Victory Day was also canceled.

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