By Choi Ha-young
The largest opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) is drawing criticism for calling a National Assembly session in an apparent bid to block the detention of its lawmaker being investigated for corruption.
The LKP called an extraordinary session Wednesday, saying the Assembly should hurry to review bills and look into an opinion rigging scandal involving President Moon Jae-in and his aides.
However, the Assembly can't do so. After the former National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun finished his two-year term, Tuesday, the leadership is in a vacuum, which means it's almost impossible to carry out legislative affairs. Along with Chung, the terms of chairmen and chairwomen of each legislative committee have expired as well, which makes it difficult to review bills.
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lashed out at the LKP, saying this is a tactic to hamper the prosecution's investigation against Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of LKP. The prosecution can arrest a lawmaker while the Assembly is in session only if the arrest motion is approved by a majority of lawmakers through a plenary session.
Considering the status quo, the Assembly ― without a speaker ― can't organize a plenary session to approve the arrest motion.
DPK floor leader Hong Young-pyo has blasted the LKP for sabotaging an election to pick a new Assembly speaker. The parliament was supposed to elect a new speaker on May 24, five days ahead of Chung's last day. However, the LKP has boycotted the election.
"I urged the LKP to promptly elect a new speaker, but it keeps rejecting this. I can't find any reason to convene the extraordinary session, except one ― providing shelter for Rep. Kweon," Hong said in a radio interview Wednesday.
The prosecution filed an arrest warrant against Kweon, May 19, and it was submitted to the Assembly on May 25. Kweon is suspected of abusing his authority to illicitly hire job candidates at the state-run casino, Kangwon Land.
Criticism is growing against the LKP, since the party adopted the strategy earlier this month, to protect its lawmakers ― Hong Moon-jong and Yeom Dong-yeol. The party intentionally called for an extraordinary session in May and the two lawmakers avoided arrest by gaining a majority of favorable votes during the May 21 plenary session. Following the stir, the term of "bullet proof parliament" made headlines here.
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| Rep. Kweon Seong-dong |
The LKP called an extraordinary session Wednesday, saying the Assembly should hurry to review bills and look into an opinion rigging scandal involving President Moon Jae-in and his aides.
However, the Assembly can't do so. After the former National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun finished his two-year term, Tuesday, the leadership is in a vacuum, which means it's almost impossible to carry out legislative affairs. Along with Chung, the terms of chairmen and chairwomen of each legislative committee have expired as well, which makes it difficult to review bills.
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lashed out at the LKP, saying this is a tactic to hamper the prosecution's investigation against Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of LKP. The prosecution can arrest a lawmaker while the Assembly is in session only if the arrest motion is approved by a majority of lawmakers through a plenary session.
Considering the status quo, the Assembly ― without a speaker ― can't organize a plenary session to approve the arrest motion.
DPK floor leader Hong Young-pyo has blasted the LKP for sabotaging an election to pick a new Assembly speaker. The parliament was supposed to elect a new speaker on May 24, five days ahead of Chung's last day. However, the LKP has boycotted the election.
"I urged the LKP to promptly elect a new speaker, but it keeps rejecting this. I can't find any reason to convene the extraordinary session, except one ― providing shelter for Rep. Kweon," Hong said in a radio interview Wednesday.
The prosecution filed an arrest warrant against Kweon, May 19, and it was submitted to the Assembly on May 25. Kweon is suspected of abusing his authority to illicitly hire job candidates at the state-run casino, Kangwon Land.
Criticism is growing against the LKP, since the party adopted the strategy earlier this month, to protect its lawmakers ― Hong Moon-jong and Yeom Dong-yeol. The party intentionally called for an extraordinary session in May and the two lawmakers avoided arrest by gaining a majority of favorable votes during the May 21 plenary session. Following the stir, the term of "bullet proof parliament" made headlines here.
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