Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do urged the People Power Party to halt its political attacks over the president's press conference and its planned street protests, and to return to the National Assembly.
Han made the remarks at a policy coordination meeting at the National Assembly on the 17th, saying, "A presidential press conference is a forum for communication, for listening to the voices of the people and holding candid dialogue on state affairs. It is not a place for the People Power Party to push through its tantrums and complaints." He added, "The People Power Party has been hurling abuse at the government with harsh language day after day," and called on the party to "stop the curses and slander and engage in cooperative politics."
Han also referred to remarks by People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk about the presidential press conference, saying, "He repeats outrageous remarks one would only expect to hear in a back-alley market — that the day an acting president appears may not be far off, that someone is barging ahead without being up to the job. The People Power Party is using the press conference as material for political attacks."
On the People Power Party's plans for street protests following the confirmation hearings, he said, "Turning its back on the National Assembly and seeking answers on the streets because it does not like something must not become the main opposition party's solution."
He went on to argue, "At these hearings, the People Power Party wasted time that should have been spent vetting policy and competence on personal attacks, abusive language and shouting," adding, "Turning suspicions into crimes and launching personal attacks through metaphor and ridicule is not vetting but a cheap political attack."
"Vetting at hearings, debating in the National Assembly and taking political responsibility for the results is the basis of parliamentary politics," he said, again urging that "the People Power Party return to the National Assembly and to the work of people's livelihoods, instead of taking to the streets."
He also said the party would focus on livelihood issues and budget deliberations ahead of the Chuseok holiday. "What the people want from politics is not street protests but attention to grocery prices and their livelihoods," Han said. "We will do our utmost in livelihood legislation and budget deliberations to fulfill the ruling party's responsibility to protect people's lives."
Han further said, "We are well aware that harsh assessments of the Democratic Party have been emerging among young adults recently," adding, "Before appealing for support, we will first show our sincerity in changing the lives of young people."
He said the government is "preparing a plan to supply universal-type rental housing that lowers income and asset thresholds and reflects young adults' housing needs, with the goal of announcing it before Chuseok," pledging, "We will take responsibility to the end for helping young people secure stable homes, so that their futures are not mortgaged to worries about housing."
