Sujin Cho: "We Cannot Give Up on the National Assembly... 'Mass Resignation of Lawmakers' Is Not to Be Taken Lightly"

Emphasizing the National Assembly as the Ultimate Battleground Against the Ruling Party

So Joojin, People Power Party / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy, Reporter Lim Juhyung] Sujin Cho, a member of the People Power Party, emphasized on December 10, "The National Assembly is the ultimate battleground against the ruling party." In response to some opposition members' suggestions of a "mass resignation of lawmakers" as a way to protest the ruling party's legislative push, Cho countered this idea, expressing her belief that parliamentary struggle should not be abandoned.

In a post on her Facebook page that day, Cho stated, "No matter what happens, we must not give up on the National Assembly," and stressed, "Even if circumstances are difficult, the fight against the ruling party must be waged both inside and outside the Assembly."

She went on to say, "Due to the resurgence of COVID-19, it is not possible to take the struggle outside the Assembly," adding, "We should not casually bring up ideas such as a 'mass resignation of lawmakers.'"

She continued, "Our opponents are those who want to eliminate the opposition party, and they would be delighted to hold by-elections," questioning, "Who would benefit from a mass resignation?"

Cho emphasized, "Refraining from carelessly raising ideas that are unlikely to be realized is the starting point for political reform," and added, "The greater the crisis, the calmer we should remain."

Cho's remarks are seen as a rebuttal to some party leaders who have hinted at the possibility of taking the struggle outside the Assembly.

On the afternoon of the 10th, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, and party members shouted slogans condemning the passage of the partial amendment bill (alternative) on the establishment and operation of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which nullified the opposition party's veto, during the plenary session of the National Assembly. / Photo by Yonhap News

Previously, on December 9, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, said in an interview with YTN Radio, "The National Assembly Act itself is becoming meaningless, and things are being done recklessly. We cannot just keep lamenting about the Assembly Act in this situation. More and more, we are coming to think along these lines."

He continued, "If bills are being pushed through in backrooms, bypassing legal procedures, cutting in line, and without any opposing debate, we see no reason to remain as lawmakers." While he did not directly mention a mass resignation of lawmakers, his remarks are interpreted as suggesting that if the situation worsens, the struggle could move outside the Assembly rather than remain within it.

Meanwhile, on the day of the final plenary session of the regular National Assembly, as the ruling party moved to pass the amendment to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) Act, the People Power Party filed for a filibuster to block the vote. The filibuster, which began at 9 p.m. that day, ended at midnight when the session concluded.

However, the bill was passed during the first plenary session of the extraordinary session of the National Assembly on December 10. In the plenary session that day, the amendment to the CIO Act was approved with 187 votes in favor, 99 against, and 1 abstention.

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