Parties Still at Odds Over Ways to Bring National Assembly Back to Normal

Uri Party floor leader Chun Jung-bae and Grand National Party floor leader Kim Deog-ryong met on November 8, only to unsuccessfully discuss ways to normalize the National Assembly that was brought to a halt following pejorative remarks by the prime minister. With their failed talks, the disruption at the National Assembly continues to its twelfth day since October 28.

“I called on Prime Minister Lee to make an apology,” said National Assembly speaker Kim Won-ki, who mediated the talk, and continued, “I warned the Uri Party and the GNP against making remarks that would hurt each other’s identity such as ‘leftist clique’ and ‘far-right old guard.’”

While they agreed with the speaker’s call for the prime minister’s apology, the two floor leaders stopped short of agreeing on ways to end the disruption.

After a phone conversation with National Assembly speaker Kim, in which he demanded an apology, Prime Minister Lee expressed reservations and said, “I will come to a conclusion about the timing, place and ways for expressing my position after observing how negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties will proceed.”

“The speaker and the Uri Party should come out and demand that the prime minister apologize,” said GNP floor leader Kim in the meeting. While directly responding to Kim’s demand, Chun said, “We will put more efforts into reaching a consensus with the opposition party through respect, dialogue and compromise.”

After the meeting, Kim Ki-man, chief public relations secretary for the speaker, said they agreed to a sufficient level of discussion and collection of public opinion for major legislation proposals and the formation of various international congressional groupings. However, there was little essential reference to the disrupted national assembly.

Both parties failed to come up with clear measures at their general lawmaker meetings, following the talk.

“The party line remains unchanged, and the party will decides on its direction after seeing the dismissal of Prime Minster Lee and the level of his apologies,” said GNP spokeswoman Chun Yeo-ok. Uri Party spokeswoman Park Young-seon said, “We will wait and see the effects of the speaker’s mediation and changes in Prime Minister Lee’s stance.” She added, “We don’t even discuss whether we will call on him to apologize.”

The disruption at the National Assembly will likely mark a watershed on November 10. The Uri Party said that if ways to normalize the National Assembly are not agreed on by then, it will disrupt the timeframe for the passage of the four major legislative proposals and budgets. It has made clear that the assembly cannot be on halt beyond November 10. Meanwhile, the GNP will hold a rally lambasting the government’s economic policy in an attempt to step up pressure on the government and the ruling party

Jong-Koo Yoon jkmas@donga.com