Opposition 3 Parties Pressuring Ruling Party for 'State Audit'... From Petition Campaign to Picketing Protests

Request to Convene Special Committee to National Assembly Speaker
"Starting Practical Work While Persuading the Ruling Party"
Urging Ruling Party to Join Amidst Street Protests

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The three opposition parties unanimously urged National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo to push forward with a state audit on the 'Itaewon tragedy.' At the same time, the Democratic Party and the Justice Party pressured the ruling party through off-site protests such as signature campaigns and picketing demonstrations.

On the 15th, representing the three opposition parties, Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, Jin Sung-jun, chief deputy floor leader, Lee Eun-joo, floor leader of the Justice Party, Jang Hye-young, chief deputy floor leader, and Yong Hye-in, floor leader of the Basic Income Party, met with Speaker Kim.

According to the Act on the Inspection and Investigation of State Affairs, when a request for a state audit is submitted, the Speaker of the National Assembly can form a special committee for the investigation in consultation with the representatives of each negotiation group. Previously, 181 members of the three opposition parties agreed and submitted a request for a state audit to the National Assembly to uncover the truth behind the Itaewon tragedy.

Before the meeting, the leaders of the three opposition parties strongly urged Speaker Kim to push forward with the state audit. Floor Leader Park said, "Is forced investigation and state audit a matter of choice? It is naturally not a matter of choosing one over the other but rather conducting both simultaneously, which actually helps the forced investigation. We will do our utmost to persuade the People Power Party until the last moment, but if they ultimately refuse the public's demand for truth-finding, we ask the Speaker to join us in persuading the People Power Party," urging a decisive action.

Floor Leader Lee also said, "There are nine days left until the plenary session on the 24th. I believe the time for a decision is approaching. The Justice Party will also strive to persuade the People Power Party to the fullest extent. While the Speaker must act as a mediator between the ruling and opposition parties, I emphasize that at some point, a decision is necessary."

Floor Leader Yong added, "As someone who painfully witnessed the Sewol ferry disaster eight years ago, I earnestly request the Speaker that this time things must be different. Please persuade the People Power Party so that the public can regain trust in safety, and make a principled and firm decision," he said.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, the Speaker did not make a decision that day, citing the need to persuade the ruling party first. After the approximately 40-minute meeting, Floor Leader Park told reporters, "The Speaker sympathized with the necessity of a state audit, considering the severity and urgency of this matter. However, he said that a state audit would be more effectively conducted if promoted through bipartisan agreement, so there is a need to further persuade the ruling party."

In response, the three opposition parties set a deadline to form a special committee within this week to submit the agenda for the plenary session on the 24th. Floor Leader Yong said, "Since there is a physical deadline of the 24th, according to the National Assembly Act and the Act on the Inspection and Investigation of State Affairs, I requested the Speaker to persuade and make a decision so that the state audit plan can be adopted at the plenary session on the 24th."

Floor Leader Park also explained that the three opposition parties will first start practical work to push forward the state audit while waiting for the ruling party's cooperation. He said, "For the state audit plan to be adopted at the plenary session on the 24th, the list of members for the state audit committee must be submitted within this week. First, the three opposition parties, along with independent lawmakers, will begin practical work to draft the state audit plan based on the current state audit request."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party held a policy meeting in the afternoon to discuss the ongoing 'nationwide signature campaign for the promotion of state audit and special prosecution' within the party. The Democratic Party began full-scale off-site protests by expanding the signature campaign nationwide, starting from Seoul on the 12th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Floor spokesperson Oh Young-hwan told reporters after the meeting, "Along with ongoing efforts to promote the state audit within the National Assembly, the party started the signature campaign to support those efforts."

He added, "The National Assembly plenary session is scheduled around the 24th, and our position is to process the state audit plan then if possible. With about ten days left, our goal is to intensively encourage primary efforts until the next plenary session."

Spokesperson Oh said, "We have collected 330,000 signatures over the past three days," and "We are aiming to gather about one million signatures over ten days."

In addition, the Democratic Party continued relay protests in front of the National Assembly main building demanding the promotion of the state audit.

On the 15th, the leadership of the Justice Party held a picketing protest near Yeouido Station in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, urging a national investigation into the October 29 Itaewon disaster.
[Photo by Justice Party]

The Justice Party also held a picketing protest near Yeouido Station in Seoul during the morning commute, with party leader Lee Jeong-mi and other party leaders urging the ruling party to accept the state audit.

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