Ruling and Opposition Parties File Complaints Against Party Leaders at Ethics Committee... "Due to the Worst Relationship"

On the Surface, They Say 'Irresponsible Remarks'
But at the Core Lies the 'Worst Ruling and Opposition Party Relations'
No Meetings for 4 Months Since the Ruling Party Leader's Inauguration

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, have both been reported to the National Assembly Ethics Committee. The reason for the ethics complaints is the 'harsh language' exchanged during disputes over the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan, and the handling of the Yellow Envelope Act. This comes right after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a final report stating that Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean meets international safety standards, intensifying the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties.

Jeon Ju-hye, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, told reporters at the National Assembly on the 5th, “Today, the People Power Party submitted a disciplinary proposal to the National Assembly Ethics Committee requesting sanctions against Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Jong-sung, and Kim Young-joo, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.”

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, are attending the Children's Safety Charter proclamation ceremony held at the National Assembly on May 4. (Photo by Yonhap News)

The reason for Lee’s ethics complaint is his ‘quack’ remark. On the 17th of last month, Lee attended a rally in Incheon condemning the discharge of contaminated water and said, “The ruling party calls in quack scientists who say ‘it’s okay to drink one or ten liters of contaminated water every day,’ which is mocking the people and spreading rumors.” The People Power Party had invited Professor Allison, who stated that water treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) is drinkable, to the National Assembly for a briefing, and Lee’s comment was a direct attack on this.

Spokesperson Jeon emphasized, “Such actions deeply hurt the hearts of our country’s fisheries workers, as well as owners and workers of sashimi restaurants and salted seafood shops,” adding, “Due to the Democratic Party’s rumors and agitation, honest fisheries workers and restaurant owners in our country are suffering great damage. We judged this to be a highly inappropriate remark that damages the dignity of a member of the National Assembly, and thus submitted the disciplinary proposal.”

The People Power Party’s complaint against Lee is a retaliatory move. The day before, the Democratic Party had filed a complaint with the National Assembly Ethics Committee over Kim Ki-hyun’s ‘drug intoxication’ remark. Kim said at a meeting with reporters after a Ulsan City Party workshop on the 1st, regarding the Democratic Party’s handling of the ‘Itaewon Disaster Special Act’ and the ‘Yellow Envelope Act,’ “It seems they are already afflicted with an incurable disease,” and “They are intoxicated with drugs, greedily pursuing immediate benefits, and are doing a very bad thing by exploiting even the national tragedy as a tool for political strife.”

In response, the Democratic Party criticized Kim through the disciplinary proposal, stating, “Kim’s excessive harsh language disparaged the opposition’s legitimate legislative activities and damaged the dignity of the National Assembly,” and “This insulted not only the victims’ families but also the public who seek truth, casting doubt on his qualifications as the leader of the ruling party.” The proposal also included allegations that Kim lied about his son’s virtual asset investment. Kim claimed his son was a ‘salaryman,’ but it was revealed that his son was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of 'Unopened,' a company suspected of a multi-billion won ‘eat-and-run’ scandal, leading to accusations of false explanations.

Experts analyze that although both parties cite ‘damage to the dignity of National Assembly members due to harsh language’ as the reason, this actually reflects the worst state of inter-party relations. The ethics complaints against each other’s party leaders are merely tools to overpower the opponent. Political commentator Park Sang-byeong said, “In a state where politics is completely absent, the ruling and opposition parties engage in political strife to rally their support bases, and there is nothing they won’t do, including filing ethics complaints against each other’s party leaders,” adding, “The worst aspect of our political scene is factional confrontation, and the current ruling-opposition factional conflict is extremely intensified compared to recent times.”

Unlike the usual practice where party leaders meet after election, Kim has been in office for about four months but has yet to meet with Lee, which is seen as another sign of the negative inter-party relationship. Park pointed out, “They see each other not as subjects for dialogue and negotiation but as enemies and targets to be swept away in politics,” and “Parliamentary democracy is not functioning at all.”

This worst-ever inter-party relationship is expected to continue until the general election next year. The possibility of a meeting between party leaders is also considered low. Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy predicted, “They are unlikely to do anything that would disperse their core support bases, and if the ruling and opposition party leaders meet, their bases might see it as a compromise. Although they exchange attacks and defenses, they probably won’t meet until the end of this year.”

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