Democratic Floor Leader Urges Rival Party to Drop Street Rallies for Livelihood Bills

Han Byung-do, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said what the regular parliamentary session needs is "not street slogans or false agitation but a recovery in people's livelihoods," pledging that his party "will not be swayed by partisan strife." His remarks were directed at the opposition People Power Party, which has announced plans to take its fight to the streets.

Han made the comments at a supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 30th, saying the People Power Party "has gone ahead and declared it will hold an outdoor rally on Oct. 3."

"When I checked the reasons for the rally, they included the landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone, the special counsel bill on fabricated indictments and the new criminal justice system," Han said. "In the case of the landmine explosion, the facts are being established one by one through a joint investigation by our military and the United Nations Command, so I cannot understand why they are using it as material for a street campaign."

On the special counsel bill concerning fabricated indictments, he said, "We said we would not take up the bill at the plenary session on the 1st of next month, so why hold a rally?" He criticized the opposition further, saying that while the People Power Party "says it will block a special counsel on prosecutions, it should instead join efforts to restore people's livelihoods."

"The Democratic Party is gathering its strength to pass livelihood bills at tomorrow's plenary session, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments, which is aimed at speeding up housing supply," he said. "What needs to be done now is not preparing to take to the streets but narrowing differences over the bills."

"The People Power Party says it will filibuster, but the Democratic Party does not intend to hold a cloture vote," he added. "Explain fully, before the public, why you oppose livelihood bills."

Han also said that "with the parliamentary audit just around the corner, there is not even enough time to examine the public's suffering and find alternatives," promising that "the Democratic Party will pass livelihood legislation going forward and answer with a policy-focused audit."