People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won on Thursday criticized newly elected Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok's vision of a "30-year Democratic Party golden age" as arrogant, saying the party's future should be "not a golden age but a cold silver handcuff era — not consecutive terms in power but consecutive retrials." [Newsis]
People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won on Thursday criticized newly elected Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok's vision of a "30-year Democratic Party golden age" as arrogant, saying the party's future should be "not a golden age but a cold silver handcuff era — not consecutive terms in power but consecutive retrials." [Newsis]

People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won on Thursday criticized newly elected Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok's blueprint for a "30-year Democratic Party golden age" as arrogant and presumptuous.

In a Facebook post, Na said the Democratic Party was repeating a familiar pattern of overconfidence about long-term rule. "This déjà vu of premature celebration over prolonged dominance reeks of arrogance," she said. "Even under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, the Democratic Party talked about being a 100-year party and ruling for 30 years while trying to seize control of prosecutors and the media."

She added that the delusion, thwarted at the time by opposition checks and public resistance, resurfaced as a scheme for long-term rule under the Moon Jae-in administration.

Na said talk of 30-year dominance had always been a harbinger of the Democratic Party's decline. "The future awaiting a Democratic Party led by a criminal president and a criminal party leader is not a golden age but a cold 'silver handcuff era' — and it should be not an era of consecutive terms in power but an era of consecutive retrials," she said.

The remarks were directed at Kim, who earlier Thursday visited the grave of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan and said he would carry on Lee's legacy, describing him as a strategist and "game-setter." Kim said he would "look toward a 20- to 30-year golden age for the Democratic Party and set the stage for consecutive terms in power."

Kim also instructed party branches nationwide to hang banners reading "We will open a golden age of democracy" alongside banners criticizing Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae over the so-called written nomination of Supreme Court justices.

Na also took aim at the fast-track acceleration bill and the filibuster restriction bill, both of which passed the National Assembly floor session Thursday under Democratic Party leadership. "In a word, this is an act of violence that would not allow the opposition a single second to voice its views," she said. "It turns the National Assembly into a vending machine for Democratic Party legislation — parliamentary totalitarianism following the scheme to take over the judiciary."

Na urged the public to stand against what she called the party's runaway ambitions. "The scheme of 'avatar Kim Min-seok' — to launder the crimes of a criminal president and push through constitutional reform for long-term rule — must end as a pipe dream," she said, adding that the most powerful weapon to stop the party's excesses was ultimately public support and trust. "We must win back the people's trust and, armed with stronger public backing, work together with the people to block their arrogance and their scheme for long-term dominance."


shindw@heraldcorp.com