People Power Party Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik criticized the parliamentary audit of the Blue House held yesterday (October 29) by the National Assembly's House Steering Committee, saying, "Lawmakers of the ruling party have been reduced to mere 'bulletproof vests for Kim Hyun-ji.'"

Speaking at the parliamentary audit strategy meeting held at the National Assembly today, Floor Leader Jeong said, "During yesterday's Blue House audit, the Democratic Party openly adopted an unapologetic attitude, refusing the appearance of key witnesses including Kim Hyun-ji and Jeong Jin-sang, and disrupted the proceedings by repeatedly calling recesses to muzzle opposition lawmakers."

Naming Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Gwang-hyeon, Floor Leader Jeong pointed out, "It was a black comedy for a chief of staff who has been in office for just two weeks to apologize by saying, 'As head of the personnel committee, I feel deeply sorry about the personnel debacle.'" He added, "They hid all the real power brokers who bear actual responsibility in the back and put an 'AI robot chief of staff' out front to merely parrot prepared answers."

He also said, "During last year's audit, the Blue House and the ruling party seemed to have at least a slight fear of the public, resorting to petty tricks and scheming, such as offering to have Attached Office Chief Kim Hyun-ji appear only in the morning or keeping her on standby within the presidential compound. Now, this administration doesn't even show such superficial bravado and hypocrisy."

He further hit out, saying, "Because they lack the ability to win back public sentiment, the only thing they can do is carry out a collective lynching of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. They should be ashamed of themselves."

Regarding next year's government budget proposal, Floor Leader Jeong criticized, "Even as the national debt snowballs, the Lee Jae-myung administration is pushing forward the creation of a 162 trillion won Future Response Fund on the grounds of increased tax revenue. There is even talk that the fund could exceed 200 trillion won." He added, "This is nothing less than a '200-trillion-won free pass for populism,' allowing the government to spray money at will outside of parliamentary control."

He continued, "Fiscal laxity inevitably brings consequences. If finances are managed like the Lee Jae-myung administration, France's present will become the Republic of Korea's future." He urged, "President Lee must declare a break from populist policies that plunder future generations."

(Photo: Yonhap News)