[Anchor]
Criticism is mounting that this year's parliamentary audit is once again dominated by vulgar insults and partisan bickering rather than policy scrutiny. Analysts suggest that this tendency is growing increasingly severe as so-called "Shorts politics," which churns out sensational and short promotional videos, becomes widespread.
Kim Kwan-jin reports.
[Reporter]
On October 6, when this year's parliamentary audit kicked off, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, attended by Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, erupted into conflict from the very start as ruling and opposition lawmakers traded insults, telling each other to "act like human beings," with the clash spilling out into the corridor outside the audit room.
[Seo Young-kyo / Chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Democratic Party lawmaker, October 6): "Are you doing this just to film for YouTube?"]
[Kim Tae-gyu / People Power Party lawmaker (October 6): "You're the one who is good at shooting YouTube videos, Madam Chair."]
[Seo Young-kyo / Chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Democratic Party lawmaker, October 6): "Now, your speaking privileges are suspended!"]
[Kim Tae-gyu / People Power Party lawmaker (October 6): "Suspend what?!"]
The audit of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee suffered repeated disruptions over conflict-of-interest concerns regarding the participation of People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jin-sook, who served as head of the Korea Communications Commission under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
[Lee Hoon-ki / Democratic Party lawmaker (October 16): "Are you smirking and enjoying this right now?"]
[Lee Jin-sook / People Power Party lawmaker (October 16): "What are you talking about right now? Why would I be smirking?"]
[Lee Hoon-ki / Democratic Party lawmaker (October 16): "Don't speak informally to me."]
Regardless of the committee, voices inside and outside the National Assembly repeatedly pointed out that shouting matches and verbal abuse—exchanged as if in competition instead of conducting calm policy scrutiny—stem from so-called "Shorts politics," which appeals to hard-line supporters through social media clips.
Remarks made by heads of audited state agencies also sparked controversy.
The Minister of Personnel Management brought up the appearance and attire of female applicants taking civil service interviews,
[Choi Dong-seok / Minister of Personnel Management (October 7): "When female examinees come there wearing full makeup, dressed in suits, and wearing pointed high heels..."]
while criticism mounted against the Minister for Government Policy Coordination for remarks that appeared to shift the blame for real estate issues.
[Lim Ki-keun / Minister for Government Policy Coordination (October 13): "This problem can be resolved only if each and every citizen applies full-court pressing."]
As the parliamentary audit reached its halfway mark, the ruling and opposition parties shifted blame onto each other, arguing respectively that the other side is "merely waging meaningless political offensives" and "blocking a policy-focused audit by refusing to adopt witnesses."
This week's parliamentary audit is expected to center on contentious issues such as discussions within the broader ruling coalition regarding the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, controversy over dropping indictments in cases related to President Lee Jae-myung, real estate lending regulations, and household debt problems.
(Video by Nam Il | Footage courtesy of YouTube 'Media Mongu')
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