People Power Party Secretary-General Jeong Hee-yong openly expressed displeasure Friday after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended a floor strategy meeting and criticized the government's real estate policy, calling the mayor's presence "unprecedented."
Before the meeting got underway at the National Assembly that morning — convened with Oh as a guest at the invitation of Floor Leader Jeong Dong-hyeok — Jeong Hee-yong turned to nearby lawmakers and said, "Where is there any precedent for inviting a local government head? They should either speak first and leave, or a separate occasion should be arranged. This makes no sense."
When Oh and Floor Leader Jeong Dong-hyeok entered the room in turn, Jeong Hee-yong shook hands with the mayor but raised his voice at the floor leader, who had placed a hand on his shoulder, repeating, "This makes no sense." He also skipped his opening remarks, saying he would let pre-distributed materials speak for him.
Inside the party, the scene was widely interpreted as party leader Jang Dong-hyeok using Oh — who is aligned with the anti-Jang camp — to signal his dissatisfaction with Floor Leader Jeong.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Jeong Hee-yong said it was "desirable" to create a venue for Oh given the public's deep frustration over real estate issues, but added that a floor strategy meeting is a forum centered on the floor leader and committee whips to discuss legislative strategy. "I was simply saying that it is unprecedented for a local government head to sit in on such a meeting," he said.
Asked whether he had expressed opposition to Oh's attendance beforehand, Jeong Hee-yong said he had suggested the mayor speak first and then leave so members could continue on their own. "The floor leader said that would not look good either, and I said that having local government heads present does not fit the purpose of the meeting," he said.
He added that he had since spoken directly with the floor leader to head off any misunderstanding. "I told him, 'I hope you won't take it the wrong way — I have no grievance or complaint,' and the floor leader said he fully understood," Jeong Hee-yong said.
klee@heraldcorp.com
