[Anchor]

The parliamentary audit of government affairs began today, October 6, marking the second year of the Lee Jae-myung administration. The Democratic Party pledged to constructively steer the government through the audits, while the People Power Party declared it would thoroughly investigate the administration's misrule and hold it accountable.

Reporter Son Hyeong-an reports.

[Reporter]

Leadership members of the Democratic Party, including party leader Kim Min-seok, held a signboard-hanging ceremony for the audit situation room at the National Assembly this morning and expressed their determination to deliver tangible results to the public focusing on livelihoods legislation and policy.

Delivering welcoming remarks, Leader Kim Min-seok emphasized that the audit must go beyond criticism to constructively steer the government while also offering clear alternatives.

[Kim Min-seok / Democratic Party Leader: "By properly balancing critical awareness of issues with responsible steering of state affairs as the ruling party, we will create an audit stage truly worthy of the ruling party."]

Floor Leader Han Byung-do also noted that the Democratic Party's audit focus would center on the people's livelihoods, but sharpened his rhetoric against the People Power Party, warning that they would respond resolutely if the opposition attempts to turn the audit into political warfare.

Holding an audit strategy meeting around the same time, the People Power Party criticized the police summons of its lawmaker Kim Jae-seop on the first day of the audits as "petty retaliation" and a "diversionary probe." The questioning involves allegations Kim raised ahead of the last local elections regarding alleged junket trips by former Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-oh.

[Jeong Jeom-sig / People Power Party Floor Leader: "This is a political investigation timed to the audit schedule. It is a diversionary investigation meant to distract the public's attention from the parliamentary audit where the Lee Jae-myung administration's misrule will come to light."]

The People Power Party added that the audit running through October 30 should be a time to thoroughly uncover and verify policy failures and corrupt practices of the Lee Jae-myung administration, hold it accountable, and normalize South Korea, while also pledging efforts toward proposing alternatives and institutional improvements.

(Video by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing by Won Hyeong-hui)