'Parliamentary Audit Concludes': Ruling Party Highlights 'Settling Insurrection, Restoring Livelihoods'... Opposition Lists 'Worst 5'

2025 Parliamentary Audit Concludes with Steering Committee Session on the 6th
Ruling Party Praises, Opposition Criticizes... Song Eonseok Calls It "Kim Hyunji Audit"

With the conclusion of this year's parliamentary audit, the ruling party evaluated it as an audit focused on settling the aftermath of insurrection and restoring people's livelihoods, while the opposition party criticized it by highlighting the 'Worst 5 Scenes.'

Yonhap News Agency

On November 7, Kim Byungkee, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on his Facebook account, "At midnight last night, the 2025 parliamentary audit concluded with the end of the Steering Committee session," adding, "It was a parliamentary audit that focused on settling the aftermath of insurrection and restoring people's livelihoods." The audit of the Steering Committee, which took place the previous day, ended at 12:02 a.m. on this day, extending past midnight.

Kim, the floor leader, expressed his gratitude, saying, "I thank all the lawmakers who worked late into the night for nearly a month," and praised his party by stating, "As expected, Democratic Party lawmakers were different. Their thorough preparation and analysis of materials stood out, and I could sense their intense deliberation."

He continued, "From next week, budget reviews by each standing committee will begin. This is the first budget of the Lee Jaemyung administration," and added, "We will meticulously examine it with the people's lives as our top priority. We will firmly support the success of a government based on national sovereignty."

Song Eonseok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the party strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on November 7, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

In contrast, the People Power Party raised its voice in criticism. Song Eonseok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, said at a party strategy meeting on this day, "Let me share the five worst moments of the parliamentary audit," and listed, "Choi Minhee, Chair of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, who should be investigated for violating the Kim Youngran Act and accepting bribes; Woo Sangho, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, who lied to the public by claiming that Kim Hyunji, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Secretariat, would attend the audit 100 percent; and Cho Woncheol, Director of the Ministry of Government Legislation, who forgot his duties and made the absurd claim that President Lee Jaemyung never met with the Daejang-dong group."

He continued, "Lee Chanjin, Chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission, who said he would dispose of one of his two apartments but instead transferred it to his child and put it on the market for 2.2 billion won, 400 million won above the actual transaction price, causing public outrage; and Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who perjured himself by claiming he only realized the seriousness of the Cambodian torture death incident in October, even though he was briefed in mid-August, are also included."

He also mocked the absence of Kim Hyunji, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Secretariat, from the parliamentary audit, saying, "This year's audit began and ended with Kim Hyunji, making it a 'Hyunji audit.' Yet, the main character behind the veil never appeared, making it a 'Hyunji audit without Hyunji.'"

Regarding the witness who opposed the prosecution reform pushed by the ruling party, Song, the floor leader, offered praise. He said, "Some say this was a real parliamentary audit," and argued, "The desperate plea of lawyer Jung Soogyung, who vividly exposed the harms of the prosecution reform perpetrated by the Democratic Party, and the remarks of prosecutor Ahn Mihyun, who questioned whether ruling party lawmakers would take responsibility for any side effects of the prosecution reform, were refreshing to hear after a long time."

Yonhap News

Meanwhile, regarding the Steering Committee audit the previous day, which was marred by a 'body check' scuffle, both the ruling and opposition parties blamed each other. When the opposition party requested materials related to Deputy Chief Kim, the ruling party responded by raising the issue of a conflict of interest involving Joo Jinwoo, a People Power Party lawmaker who previously served as Legal Secretary under the Yoon Sukyeol administration, leading to a heated exchange. After Kim, the floor leader and chairman of the Steering Committee, declared a recess, a physical altercation occurred between Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Kiheon and Song Eonseok, the floor leader, as lawmakers were leaving the chamber.

Afterward, Song, the floor leader, told reporters, "As I was turning to leave through the chamber door, Lee Kiheon, with his large build, approached and collided with me," and added, "Although it was committed by a minority party, I express my deep regret that an act of violence akin to terrorism against the opposition floor leader occurred in broad daylight," demanding an apology from Lee.

Lee, the lawmaker, countered, "The People Power Party is making a baseless claim that I used violence with my large build, but the real victim of the body check was me," and added, "If I am guilty of anything, it is only for having a protruding belly."

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