Ruling and Opposition Parties Near End of 21st National Audit Session... Agree on 'No Hand Placards or Loud Shouting' Rule

Meeting of Ruling and Opposition Floor Leaders Agrees on Gentlemen's Agreement
Ban on Loud, Abusive Language Blamed for Disruptions in Plenary and Standing Committees
Sharp Confrontations Between Ruling and Opposition Outside the Assembly Hall

As the final state audit of the 21st National Assembly concludes this week, the ruling and opposition parties have agreed to efforts to normalize the operation of the National Assembly. The floor leaders of both parties agreed not to attach 'hand pickets,' which have caused political conflicts, inside the meeting rooms, and also to prohibit 'shouting' and 'jeering' directed at the opposing party.

On the morning of the 24th, Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, and Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party, conveyed this agreement at each party's state audit strategy meeting held at the National Assembly.

Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 23rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Floor leader Yoon stated, "First, we reached a consensus that the atmosphere in the meeting rooms needs to be improved. We mutually agreed not to carry or attach pickets in the plenary and standing committee meeting rooms, and also agreed not to shout or jeer in the plenary hall." He added, "We will continue these efforts together to improve the problem of the National Assembly showing an unsightly appearance to the public and the ruling and opposition parties being excessively absorbed in political conflicts."

Democratic Party floor leader Hong also said at the state audit strategy meeting that "Every time the ruling and opposition parties switch positions, they enter holding hand pickets, and meetings have repeatedly broken down. We agreed not to carry hand pickets in the plenary and standing committee meeting rooms." He explained, "There have been many controversies due to various shouting and harsh remarks in the plenary hall. We proposed a kind of gentlemen's agreement that during the president's policy speech and the floor leaders' speeches of the ruling and opposition parties, members remain seated without making separate remarks, and both parties agreed to this."

Previously, the ruling and opposition parties disrupted speeches by shouting and jeering at each other during the floor leaders' speeches in the plenary session, and attached pickets in meetings such as the National Defense Committee and the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, causing disruptions in the state audit. As public opinion worsened due to extreme confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties, it appears that both sides have agreed to restrain political conflicts ahead of next year's general election. Although the ruling and opposition parties have embarked on normalizing the National Assembly through this gentlemen's agreement, most standing committees, except for the concurrent standing committees (the Steering Committee, Intelligence Committee, and Gender Equality Committee), will conclude their comprehensive audits by the end of this week, marking the end of the 21st National Assembly's final state audit.

While political conflicts are expected to be minimized in the remaining state audits, confrontations between the ruling and opposition parties are likely to continue outside the audit venues.

Floor leader Yoon expressed disappointment over Lee Jae-myung's first official remarks upon returning to party affairs, which included calls for the 'total resignation of the cabinet.' At the meeting, he criticized, "Calling for the total resignation of the cabinet and belittling meetings with the ruling party leader as meaningless is a challenge for political conflict, not an invitation for cooperation." He added, "Cooperation requires respect for the other party, acknowledging differences in thought and narrowing gaps through dialogue, but the atmosphere in the Democratic Party leadership yesterday was different from expectations."

Floor leader Hong also remained sharp in criticizing the government's fiscal policy and attempts to privatize YTN. At the meeting, Hong said, "The Yoon administration's fiscal management is very irrational. When the economy is deteriorating like now, it is reasonable to play a role as a primer for economic revitalization through active fiscal management." Regarding Eugene Group being selected as the final candidate for the new major shareholder of YTN, he expressed "strong regret over the regime's all-out attempt to seize control of broadcasting without reflection."

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