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| Lawmakers and members of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party participate in a gathering organized to criticize the administration and the appointment of Cho Kuk as justice minister at the National Assembly, Sunday. Yonhap |
By Park Ji-won
The political parties have exchanged barbs over the appointment of Justice Minister Cho Kuk during the four-day Chuseok holiday, prompting concerns that the next session of the National Assembly may be paralyzed.
The opposition stepped up its offensive against the Moon Jae-in administration for appointing Cho as minister, holding rallies and calling for his resignation.
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) organized a large gathering at the National Assembly, Sunday, saying that the people wanted Cho to resign. It also claimed that the ongoing economic slowdown has been caused by the government's ineffective policies, and urged the administration to take responsibility for its failures.
LKP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn and other party members staged one-man protests in Gyeonggi Province, Incheon and Seoul from Tuesday to Saturday for about an hour, except Friday, criticizing the administration for appointing Cho and calling for its cancellation.
"We should make Cho quit. The Moon Jae-in administration should apologize to the people for appointing him," Hwang told reporters Saturday.
Regarding Cho's cousin ― detained Saturday on charges of embezzlement ― who ran a private equity fund for the justice minister and his family members, Hwang said he should be punished under the appropriate law.
Minor opposition Bareunmirae Party (BMP) Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu and party members also held a candlelit rally in central Seoul, Saturday, criticizing the appointment and calling for its cancellation.
The moves came after President Moon appointed Cho last week despite protests from the opposition. Since his nomination in early August, issues involving Cho have swept the entire country for weeks, with a series of corruption allegations involving him and his family members made headlines.
It is largely expected that opposition parties will boycott parliamentary activities ahead of key events such as the parliamentary audit of ministries and government agencies that starts Sept. 30.
Despite the controversy surrounding Cho, a poll of 1,026 adults by Kantar Korea, Friday, showed he had become the third most prospective presidential candidate with support of 7 percent, following Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon at 15.9 percent and Hwang with 14.4 percent.
Meanwhile, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) continued to defend the appointment, urging the opposition to stop politicizing the matter and perform their duties as lawmakers.
"The DPK knows the concerns regarding the appointment of Cho. There are some drawbacks to Cho. But the appointment reflects the determination of an administration that is pushing for the reform of powerful organizations," Rep. Cho Jeong-sik, chief policymaker of the DPK, said during a press conference at the National Assembly, Sunday.
"What people want from us is to focus on their livelihoods rather than fighting each other… I hope the National Assembly will stop being in a political strife," DPK floor leader Rep. Lee In-young said.
Meanwhile, President Moon visited the ASEAN Culture House in Busan, Saturday, in a move to raise awareness of his planned summit with his counterparts from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in November.
The ASEAN Culture House was opened in 2017 to build a platform to promote South Koreans' understanding of ASEAN and raise mutual awareness and friendship between South Korea and the region.
The government has been aiming to build stronger economic and political ties with Southeast Asia in its bid to become more independent from the United States and China.
