Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said Tuesday that the People Power Party "chose to continue its parliamentary strike at its Monday caucus meeting" and called the move "the worst sabotage of people's livelihoods in constitutional history."
Speaking at a floor strategy meeting at the National Assembly, Han said the Democratic Party "will make the PPP answer for its contempt for the public, its neglect of livelihoods and its abusive politics." He added that if the PPP continued its "unjustified boycott of livelihood legislation," the party would ask the Assembly speaker to convene a plenary session this week "to take action toward building a working National Assembly."
Han also turned his criticism on PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok, saying Jang "has been using disrespectful and abusive language toward the president day after day, attending rallies pushing conspiracy theories about election fraud, and doing nothing but stoke political conflict." Han urged Jang to "stop the abusive rhetoric" and called on the PPP to "end its National Assembly boycott." Jang had previously been photographed at a protest over a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections holding a placard that referred to President Lee Jae Myung without his surname or title.
Han sharpened his remarks, saying, "What the public is asking of the opposition party right now is surely not agitation filled with abusive language, street politics and conspiracy theories."
bigroot@heraldcorp.com
