Opposition Furious at President Yoon Ignoring the 'Silent Protest'... "He Doesn't Even Look Their Way"

Holding a Protest Rally, Silent Demonstration as President Yoon Enters
President Yoon Passes by Lawmakers During Silent Demonstration

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Park Joon-yi] The Democratic Party of Korea greeted President Yoon Seok-yeol, who visited the National Assembly for the policy speech, with a ‘silent protest.’ The Democratic Party shouted protest slogans against the prosecution’s search and seizure of the opposition party’s headquarters the day before, and when President Yoon entered the rotunda of the National Assembly, they held a silent protest.

On the 25th, after finishing the party meeting, the Democratic Party held a condemnation rally at the National Assembly rotunda. The lawmakers held placards saying, ‘Apologize for ignoring the National Assembly!’, ‘Stop oppressing the opposition!’, and ‘Apologize, "i XX"!’ The banner read, ‘Condemn the intrusion into the opposition party headquarters disrupting the audit.’

Democratic Party lawmakers shouted, "We condemn the Yoon Seok-yeol administration for neglecting people’s livelihood and oppressing the opposition! Condemn! Condemn!" They also chanted slogans such as "Apologize, President, for insulting and verbally abusing the National Assembly! Apologize! Apologize! Apologize!"

The condemnation rally turned into a silent protest after President Yoon entered the National Assembly building. Jin Sung-jun, the Democratic Party’s senior deputy floor leader, signaled, "The president is entering, let’s be silent," and the lawmakers fell silent together.

When President Yoon showed little reaction to the Democratic Party lawmakers’ protest, the lawmakers expressed frustration, saying, "He doesn’t even look at us." As President Yoon headed to the Speaker’s office, the lawmakers resumed shouting slogans and continued their protest.

On the 25th, as President Yoon Suk-yeol entered the National Assembly main building to deliver the budget speech for the next year, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and lawmakers were holding a picket protest. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Some lawmakers shouted, "The president who said ‘i XX’ must apologize."

After President Yoon’s entry into the National Assembly concluded, the lawmakers moved to the Budget and Accounts Special Committee meeting room to continue the party meeting.

Earlier, during a discussion on how to respond to the policy speech, Park Hong-geun, the Democratic Party floor leader, stated, "The Democratic Party completely rejects President Yoon’s policy speech at the National Assembly today."

He explained, "The Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the People Power Party, held protest placards when President Moon Jae-in, who had no transition committee, first visited for a policy speech in June 2016. In the 2018 budget policy speech, they all wore black mourning ribbons and disrupted the speech with loud voices and three large banners." He added, "Compared to the People Power Party’s direct disruption of the president’s speech in the plenary session, we believe expressing protest in a more solemn yet restrained manner is better."

Floor leader Park criticized, "The president used the term ‘i XX’ to refer to the National Assembly members at a diplomatic event, and the presidential office’s chief public relations officer admitted that this was directed at our opposition party. As the ‘i XX’ became a derogatory term for opposition lawmakers, we at least expected the president to conclude the ongoing verbal disputes with an apology to the people and the National Assembly before coming to deliver the policy speech. However, the president responded yesterday that he had never heard of such conditions for a policy speech in constitutional history."

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