Yoon Administration's First Government Questioning, Fierce Confrontation Between Ruling and Opposition Parties Expected... "Establishment of Police Bureau vs. North Korea Repatriation Controversy"

Opposition's Lee Hae-sik, Park Beom-gye Focus Offensive Strategy
Ruling Party's Ha Tae-gyeong, Tae Young-ho Counter North Korea Incident Allegations
Ruling and Opposition Leaders Clash Over 'Police Bureau Establishment'

On the 15th, at the plenary session held in the National Assembly, the motion for the resignation of Lee Nak-yeon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, was passed with 151 votes in favor, 42 votes against, and 16 abstentions. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Junyi Park, Hyunji Kwon, Gimin Lee] On the 25th, ahead of the first National Assembly interpellation session of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, the ruling and opposition parties forecasted a fierce confrontation. The opposition plans to focus its attacks on the Yoon administration’s push to establish a Police Bureau and the controversy over private recruitment, while the ruling party intends to concentrate on the Moon Jae-in administration’s repatriation controversy. With party leadership joining the disputes, the frontlines between the ruling and opposition parties are expected to widen.

Lee Hae-sik, a member of the Democratic Party participating in the questioning, told this outlet in a phone interview, "I plan to focus my questions on the establishment of a Police Bureau directly under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the drafting of command rules that would allow the minister to directly control the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency." In particular, Lee plans to point out the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s request to shorten the legislative notice period for the enforcement decree establishing the Police Bureau. He said, "While organizational changes usually take about five days, the establishment of the Police Bureau is not an ‘ordinary organizational change.’ If mishandled, it could lead us back to the era of dictatorship," criticizing the move.

Park Beom-gye, a former Minister of Justice and Democratic Party lawmaker, also pointed out the problem with the ‘Police Bureau establishment’ on the radio that day, saying, "It means the president will directly control through the Minister of the Interior and Safety," and "It is a method to open the door for interference in investigations." He added that during the interpellation session, he plans to get a pledge from Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min that there will be ‘no interference in investigations’ and to ask Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon why he is ‘engaging in rule-of-law disruption.’

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, the leadership of both parties also clashed. Woo Sang-ho, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party, criticized in a committee meeting, "I hope the intention to seize control of the police by establishing the Police Bureau will be withdrawn," and warned, "If it is not withdrawn, a greater judgment from the people will be delivered."

On the other hand, Kwon Seong-dong, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, countered at the Supreme Council meeting, referring to the previous day’s opposition by police chiefs nationwide against the establishment of the Police Bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety: "They remained silent when personnel authority was exercised behind closed doors in the Blue House to suit the regime’s tastes, but now they are engaging in collective action, claiming police control just because a personnel support department is being created," calling it "selective anger and political mobilization obvious to anyone."

The Democratic Party also plans to focus its questioning on the controversy over private recruitment in the Presidential Office. Lawmaker Ko Min-jung explained in a phone call, "Since the Presidential Office has not provided any related materials on how the controversial personnel were selected, we plan to question the fundamental problems of that itself."

The People Power Party will intensively probe suspicions related to North Korea incidents during the Moon Jae-in administration, such as the forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen and the shooting of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries officials. Ha Tae-kyung, who served as head of the party’s ‘Task Force for the Truth Investigation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Official Shooting Incident,’ plans to emphasize the lack of rescue efforts for official Lee and raise responsibility issues for the previous government. Ha’s office stated, "We plan to request documents such as official correspondence and directives exchanged between the Blue House and ministries at the time and seek cooperation to ensure thorough investigations and audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection."

Lawmaker Tae Yong-ho, a member of the party’s National Security Disorder Task Force, plans to question the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Unification about procedural illegality in the forced repatriation case and request disclosure of key materials. Tae’s office said, "We will demand the government provide North Korean fishermen’s self-introduction letters, handwritten statements of intent to defect, and joint interrogation investigation reports."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon, addressing cabinet members facing the government interpellation session for the first time under the current administration, only asked them to "explain well to the public" and avoided mentioning the anticipated contentious issue of the Police Bureau establishment that day. When reporters said, "Collective action by the police is expected over the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s establishment of the Police Bureau," he briefly responded, "I understand that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the police side will take necessary measures." This is interpreted as an effort to minimize the burden on ministers ahead of the interpellation session.

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