PPP Condemns Lee Jae-myung's 'Criminal' Remark, DPK Retorts with 'Abuse'

Political tensions between the People Power Party (PPP) and the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are escalating, with sharp conflicts continuing over the Daejang-dong development scandal, the mass walkout of prosecutors, and personnel issues on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

The PPP has launched an offensive, claiming that the DPK is deliberately refusing a parliamentary audit into the Daejang-dong development favor allegations. The PPP has presented the appointment of Rep. Na Kyung-won as the opposition party's chief negotiator on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the suspension of Rep. Choo Mi-ae's operation of the committee, and an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties on the adoption of witnesses and references for the state audit as prerequisites for conducting the audit.

The DPK criticized the PPP for setting too many preconditions for its proposal for a state audit in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and essentially trying to thwart the audit. The DPK pointed out that the PPP's attitude could be interpreted as a lack of will to uncover the truth, and continued its offensive. The DPK has strongly criticized the recent mass walkout of prosecutors. The DPK defined the prosecutors' actions as a serious matter that undermines the authority of the National Assembly and urged the government to conduct a thorough and strict audit.

The PPP questioned the fairness of the audit, raising questions as to whether the President's order for an audit was intended to influence the trial related to him. The PPP expressed concern that the President's actions could infringe on the independence of the judiciary and raised its voice in criticism.

The PPP and DPK clashed fiercely over each other's remarks. A PPP official argued that the expression "criminal" used to refer to Representative Lee Jae-myung reflected public outrage. On the other hand, a DPK official criticized this as blatant abuse and demanded an immediate halt. The ruling and opposition parties remain at odds over the promotion of a parliamentary audit into the Daejang-dong development favor allegations. The PPP is in the position that the allegations must be thoroughly investigated, while the DPK insists that it is a political attack.

The conflict continues over the composition of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The PPP is demanding the position of chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, but the DPK is maintaining its position that it cannot give it up. There are concerns that the National Assembly's deadlock could be prolonged due to the hardline confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties. Within political circles, there is a growing voice calling for the ruling and opposition parties to engage in dialogue and compromise to resolve pending state affairs.