"Is the Government Just a Figurehead?" Opposition Voices Frustration Over Unasked Questions at the Public Administration Committee Meeting

Agreement Between Ruling and Opposition Party Whips to Only Report to Authorities
Yong Hye-in "Cannot Agree with Government's Policy to Keep Quiet"
Moon Jin-seok Requests "Allow Questions on Matters Already Reported in Media"

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min is reporting on current issues related to the Itaewon disaster at the plenary meeting of the Administrative Safety Committee held at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 1st. Meanwhile, Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party (second from the left), is protesting and leaving the meeting over the decision by the ruling and opposition parties not to question by mutual agreement.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] “I cannot agree with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Committee (MOIS Committee) playing a mere supporting role under the government’s directive to stay quiet and not take responsibility for what the National Assembly should be doing now!”

At the full meeting of the National Assembly’s MOIS Committee held on the 1st, Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party, raised her voice like this right after Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min’s apology statement ended. The meeting was arranged to receive a briefing from government authorities including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Police Agency, and the Fire Agency regarding the crush accident that occurred on the night of October 29 in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Although the intention was to quickly receive only the briefing considering the ongoing accident response, the content had already been disclosed through the media, making it difficult to find a special reason for holding the full meeting.

Yong said, “Where else is such a one-sided process happening?” and criticized, “This is how the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is dealing with the tragedy. They are telling us to say nothing and just stay put. Why on earth is the National Assembly’s MOIS Committee creating such a bad precedent in this way?”

In response, MOIS Committee Chairman Lee Chae-ik said, “Today, we will first receive the government’s briefing between the ruling and opposition parties, and after the mourning period ends, we will fully gather the opinions of the committee members and provide time for questioning,” but Yong was not easily convinced.

Yong pointed out, “What needs to be confirmed and investigated is being pushed into political strife.” When Chairman Lee again instructed the Minister of the Interior and Safety to report on the work, Yong left the meeting room.

Moon Jin-seok, a member of the MOIS Committee from the Democratic Party, requested to be allowed to ask questions after Chairman Lee’s briefing ended, saying, “This is all information already reported in the media,” causing a commotion inside the meeting room.

Kim Gyo-heung, the opposition party secretary of the MOIS Committee from the Democratic Party, also criticized Chairman Lee’s briefing as “too plain.” Kim said, “Today’s meeting is a place to report to the public, but although there is awareness of issues related to the accident and the ongoing investigation, the briefing was too plain and, as Moon said, at a level that can be seen in the media. There should at least be basic explanations about why the accident happened and what plans are in place going forward, but it was frustrating and regrettable,” he said.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He continued, “True mourning means revealing the truth, disciplining problematic parts, and holding those responsible accountable,” emphasizing, “Through that, true mourning can be achieved and national unity can be formed.”

Lee Man-hee, the ruling party secretary, reminded that “It is somewhat premature to hold a separate question-and-answer session to do our best for early accident recovery,” noting that the meeting was limited to a briefing. Lee added, “How many questions do the committee members want to ask? As the chairman said, after the fact, through meetings with the opposition party secretaries, we will clarify the cause of the accident and explain the recovery process to the public. We will disclose everything thoroughly without leaving a single speck of dust and inform the public,” he said.

Chairman Lee declared the adjournment of the full meeting after about 40 minutes and announced that a full meeting for question-and-answer on the current issues would be held soon after the national mourning period ends. The next full meeting of the MOIS Committee is scheduled for the 10th, when the budget bill will be submitted, and the current issue questioning is expected to take place then as well.

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