Democratic Party demands apology and resignation over Kim Tae-gyu's denial of insurrection ruling; PPP says no legal basis to bar participation

Audit also sees clashes over DMZ mine response, single-stock ETF recording and presidential residence documents

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-gyu makes a personal statement at the National Assembly's Steering Committee national audit of the Presidential Secretariat, National Security Office and Presidential Security Service on Thursday. [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-gyu makes a personal statement at the National Assembly's Steering Committee national audit of the Presidential Secretariat, National Security Office and Presidential Security Service on Thursday. [Yonhap]

The National Assembly's Steering Committee national audit of Cheong Wa Dae was repeatedly suspended Thursday as the ruling and opposition parties clashed head-on over the participation of People Power Party lawmaker Kim Tae-gyu, who sparked controversy by saying the actions of former presidents Yoon Suk Yeol and Chun Doo-hwan did not constitute insurrection.

The Democratic Party of Korea strongly objected to Kim's presence at the audit, noting that the committee had already passed a resolution — driven by the Democratic Party — calling for Kim's expulsion, and demanded a public apology and resignation from the Steering Committee. The People Power Party pushed back, arguing there is no legal basis under the Act on the Inspection and Investigation of State Administration to bar a lawmaker from participating in a national audit, as Kim's situation does not meet the grounds for disqualification or recusal.

When Kim entered the audit chamber Thursday afternoon, Democratic Party lawmakers erupted in protest. Rep. Seo Mi-hwa said Kim was "someone who denies even the insurrection recognized by a Supreme Court ruling," adding, "Walking in here with a smile — does that make any sense? This is an insult to the National Assembly and an insult to the people." Rep. Im Mi-ae of the same party joined in, saying the committee had voted on a resolution urging Kim's expulsion and that "sitting here and speaking is an act of contempt for that." Im urged the situation to be resolved quickly, warning that "the ruling party members cannot continue the audit under these circumstances."

People Power Party Rep. Yun Yong-geun rebuffed the criticism, saying there is "no obstacle that can prevent a lawmaker from conducting a national audit beyond the disqualification and recusal provisions." Kim requested an opportunity to make a personal statement, but Steering Committee Chairman Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party refused, saying he would "not tolerate Kim participating in the national audit as if nothing had happened" without an apology. The session was ultimately suspended.

The confrontation continued even after the recess. Kim took aim at Democratic Party lawmakers, saying, "You are working so hard to defend Cheong Wa Dae. You won't even give me the right to explain myself."

When the session resumed, the disruption continued. In response to repeated demands for an apology from ruling party members, Kim said, "I think it would be somewhat difficult to say definitively," adding, "I am working harder than anyone to respect and uphold the Constitution." Ruling party lawmakers erupted, shouting, "Is that an apology?" and "Do you want to protect Yoon Suk Yeol and Chun Doo-hwan that badly?"

Earlier in the session, before the controversy over Kim's attendance, the audit also saw sharp exchanges between the ruling and opposition parties over the military response to North Korea, policy allegations and the submission of documents related to the presidential residence.

On South Korea's response to North Korea's mine provocations in the Demilitarized Zone, People Power Party Rep. Kim Ki-woong asked what the government's position was on North Korea's "brazen behavior," to which Democratic Party Rep. Kim Seong-hoe rebuffed that South Korea "is already conducting sufficient shows of force, including chilling displays such as the launch of hypersonic missiles." When People Power Party Rep. Choe Eun-seok requested that a recording of a Jan. 13 meeting chaired by former Cheong Wa Dae Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom — related to the push to introduce single-stock leveraged ETFs — be played at the hearing, Democratic Party lawmakers refused, saying, "How can we play a recording of unclear origin at a national audit?"

The dispute over documents related to the presidential residence also grew heated. People Power Party Rep. Yun Yong-geun urged officials to "submit the documents to the public by the same standard the Democratic Party demanded when it was in the opposition," to which Rebuilding Korea Party Rep. Kim Jun-hyeong shot back that the documents "must never be released, as the president's life, safety and state secrets must be protected," prompting a loud exchange of shouts.


sunpine@heraldcorp.com