Opposition party criticized for dereliction of duty
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) boycott of President Yoon Suk-yeol's budget speech at the National Assembly on Tuesday cannot be justified under any circumstances. It was a shameful act that deserves criticism for the dereliction of duty as a responsible political party.
The DPK staged the boycott in protest against the government's alleged suppression of the opposition, deepening the political deadlock with the ruling camp. The move came amid the prosecution's efforts to expand its investigations into corruption allegations involving DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung.
On Monday, prosecutors raided the DPK's headquarters to secure evidence that can prove allegations that Kim Yong, Lee's confidant and the deputy head of the DPK's think tank, took illegal political funds. Kim was arrested last week on charges of accepting the funds which could have been used to finance the election campaign for Lee who lost to Yoon in the March 9 presidential vote.
The DPK's boycott was seen as a dirty trick to block the investigations which apparently targeted Lee. Its leader has already faced allegations that he was deeply involved in a corruption scandal surrounding lucrative land development projects in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, while serving as mayor. It is understandable that DPK members are trying to protect their leader from potential criminal charges.
Yet it is irrational to boycott the speech in which Yoon explained his position on the government's 2023 budget plan and called for the opposition's cooperation to approve it. It marked the first time that the opposition stayed away from a president's speech at the Assembly.
This is not to defend Yoon who has taken flak for various issues including his poor diplomatic performance and his move to dig up dirt on the previous Moon Jae-in administration. Yoon has also been slammed for doing little to keep his promise to promote national unity and embrace the opposition to seek bipartisan cooperation.
However, the DPK's protest appears to have gone too far. It is wrong to link the anti-corruption investigations to the president's speech. The DPK's argument against the government's suppression is not persuasive. Lee and his party need to cooperate with the ongoing investigations to shed light on the political fund scandal and the land development scandal. They must make efforts to clear up all the corruption allegations, instead of calling for a halt to the investigations.
The DPK should return to the Assembly and start deliberations on the budget bill to check if it is well drafted and sort out any flaws that could end up squandering taxpayers' money. It also needs to refrain from the consumptive partisan feud with the ruling People Power Party (PPP). The rival parties must break the political deadlock before it is too late.
Forging bipartisanship is all the more important to cope with growing military threats from North Korea which has continued to launch ballistic missiles and is ready to conduct its seventh nuclear test any moment now.
South Korea is also faced with looming economic woes amid runaway inflation, higher interest rates and a widening trade deficit. We urge the rival parties to stop their political fights and work together to ensure national security and prevent a potential economic crisis.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) boycott of President Yoon Suk-yeol's budget speech at the National Assembly on Tuesday cannot be justified under any circumstances. It was a shameful act that deserves criticism for the dereliction of duty as a responsible political party.
The DPK staged the boycott in protest against the government's alleged suppression of the opposition, deepening the political deadlock with the ruling camp. The move came amid the prosecution's efforts to expand its investigations into corruption allegations involving DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung.
On Monday, prosecutors raided the DPK's headquarters to secure evidence that can prove allegations that Kim Yong, Lee's confidant and the deputy head of the DPK's think tank, took illegal political funds. Kim was arrested last week on charges of accepting the funds which could have been used to finance the election campaign for Lee who lost to Yoon in the March 9 presidential vote.
The DPK's boycott was seen as a dirty trick to block the investigations which apparently targeted Lee. Its leader has already faced allegations that he was deeply involved in a corruption scandal surrounding lucrative land development projects in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, while serving as mayor. It is understandable that DPK members are trying to protect their leader from potential criminal charges.
Yet it is irrational to boycott the speech in which Yoon explained his position on the government's 2023 budget plan and called for the opposition's cooperation to approve it. It marked the first time that the opposition stayed away from a president's speech at the Assembly.
This is not to defend Yoon who has taken flak for various issues including his poor diplomatic performance and his move to dig up dirt on the previous Moon Jae-in administration. Yoon has also been slammed for doing little to keep his promise to promote national unity and embrace the opposition to seek bipartisan cooperation.
However, the DPK's protest appears to have gone too far. It is wrong to link the anti-corruption investigations to the president's speech. The DPK's argument against the government's suppression is not persuasive. Lee and his party need to cooperate with the ongoing investigations to shed light on the political fund scandal and the land development scandal. They must make efforts to clear up all the corruption allegations, instead of calling for a halt to the investigations.
The DPK should return to the Assembly and start deliberations on the budget bill to check if it is well drafted and sort out any flaws that could end up squandering taxpayers' money. It also needs to refrain from the consumptive partisan feud with the ruling People Power Party (PPP). The rival parties must break the political deadlock before it is too late.
Forging bipartisanship is all the more important to cope with growing military threats from North Korea which has continued to launch ballistic missiles and is ready to conduct its seventh nuclear test any moment now.
South Korea is also faced with looming economic woes amid runaway inflation, higher interest rates and a widening trade deficit. We urge the rival parties to stop their political fights and work together to ensure national security and prevent a potential economic crisis.
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