▲ People Power Party Rep. Kim Tae-gyu protests to Committee Chairperson Rep. Seo Young-kyo of the Democratic Party of Korea over the suspension of his speaking rights after the parliamentary audit of the Supreme Court and other judicial agencies was halted at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly on October 6.
As the parliamentary audit marking the second year of the Lee Jae-myung administration concluded its first week on October 9, critics say it has been marred from the outset by foul language, shouting matches, and picket protests.
Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties clashed by trading provocative remarks in audit sessions, which are meant to inspect state administration and policy details and propose alternatives.
Criticism is mounting that extreme confrontational politics aimed solely at hard-line supporters has unfolded in audit rooms, leaving policy scrutiny sidelined and only short-form videos behind.
The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee was the fiercest battleground among the standing committees that launched audits.
During the committee's first audit on October 6, heated arguments began over the Democratic Party of Korea's demand for Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae to testify and the People Power Party's insistence that he be excused according to precedent, and verbal clashes continued thereafter.
People Power Party Rep. Kim Tae-gyu said, "Let's create a truth about Owl Rock."
The remark appears to be related to allegations of historical distortion surrounding the film "The Assassin," which depicts the fatal shooting of the late First Lady Yuk Young-soo.
Rebuilding Korea Party Rep. Park Eun-jung criticized him, saying, "Act like a human being," while Democratic Party Rep. Kim Yong-min remarked, "He has never been a human being." Rep. Kim Tae-gyu shot back, "Look at your standard. You act like a human being," and "Did Owl Rock get under your skin?"
In the afternoon session, harsh words were exchanged as People Power Party ranking member Rep. Park Hyeong-soo protested the procedural conduct of Committee Chairperson Seo Young-kyo of the Democratic Party.
Chairperson Seo repeatedly cut off remarks throughout the audit and even restricted the speaking rights of Reps. Kim Tae-gyu and Park Hyeong-soo.
During yesterday's audit, another fiery war of words erupted over Chairperson Seo's speaking time.
People Power Party Rep. Gwak Gyu-taek argued that Chairperson Seo took up too much speaking time, to which Seo called the remark insulting and countered that she was presiding over the meeting as committee chair.
In the audits of the Strategy and Finance Committee and the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, proceedings were temporarily disrupted due to picket protests by opposition lawmakers.
People Power Party lawmakers attached pickets to their laptop computers at their seats during yesterday's audit.
The audit was delayed by about 30 minutes after People Power Party lawmakers refused Chairperson Cho Seoung-lae's request—a Democratic Party lawmaker heading the Strategy and Finance Committee—to remove the pickets.
Following discussions between ruling and opposition party floor whips, the People Power Party eventually removed the pickets.
The audit of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee was also temporarily suspended as People Power Party lawmakers affixed pickets to their laptops.
The controversy over displaying pickets in audit rooms has recurred during every parliamentary audit, including instances when the Democratic Party was in the opposition in the past.
During the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee audit on October 7, clashes erupted when government and ruling party figures were seen laughing at questions from an opposition lawmaker.
When People Power Party Rep. Park Choong-kwon, a North Korean defector, questioned them about a tip alleging that the Unification Ministry and Lawyers for a Democratic Society had coaxed North Korean defectors to return to the North, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and Democratic Party lawmakers burst into laughter.
When an enraged Rep. Park took issue with their reaction, Democratic Party lawmakers pushed back, and the dispute escalated into a clash filled with informal language and shouting.
Shouting also ensued when Rep. Park warned that if the Unification Ministry did not withdraw its use of the term "Bukhyangmin" (people heading North), he would call the minister "Minister Buk Dong-young" instead.
In the Education Committee, amid clashes over student group viewings of the film "The Assassin," ruling and opposition lawmakers traded heated barbs when Education Committee Chairperson Kim Hee-jung of the People Power Party turned off the microphone of Rebuilding Korea Party Rep. Kang Kyung-sook.
Shin Yul, a professor of political science and international relations at Myongji University, explained that criticism over the parliamentary audit failing to hold the government in check and present policy alternatives has been repeated for decades.
He added that as more lawmakers become conscious of YouTube Shorts, the audit appears to have increasingly deteriorated into a venue for more provocative and abrasive remarks.
Kim Kwan-ok, head of the Signal Political Research Institute, analyzed that a synergistic effect occurs because politicians cannot draw attention unless they ride the wave of public demand.
He added that since the audit is a time for the opposition to hold the government in check, conducting an in-depth audit of state administration with reason and logic rather than remarks that inflame public sentiment would be beneficial to the opposition as well.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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