Democratic Party floor leader Hong Ihk-pyo, “President Yoon should drop authoritarian ideas”

Hong Ik-pyo, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks to The Kyunghyang newspaper at the National Assembly on Feb. 22. Seo Seong-il Senior Reporter

“It is an authoritarian idea for President Yoon Seok-yeol to think he is granting a great favor by meeting with the leader of the main opposition party,” Hong Ik-pyo, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized on October 22. In an interview at the National Assembly, Hong said, “The president and the opposition leader should not meet as if it were a great ceremony, but meet regularly and consult each other whenever necessary.”
The following is an interview with Hong.

Q. The president and the ruling party are keeping things low key.

A. “The president himself should change, but he hasn’t said much about what he will do in the future. It shouldn’t be just makeshift measures, but a change in the direction of state administration. First, the relationship between the ruling party and the Office of the President needs to change. It is also wrong to think that vetoing bills is the answer to everything. The Democratic Party intends to pass the ‘yellow envelope bill’ and the amendment of the broadcasting act in early Novemberno matter what. The ruling party was supposed to bring concessions and compromises to the table, but they have not once presented such drafts.”

Q. The president has never met with Lee Jae-myung.

A. “When the president says, ‘I can't meet with the leader of the main opposition party because he is a criminal,’ I absolutely disagree. He is confused about who he is, the president or a prosecutor in the special investigation division. The president and the opposition leader should meet and discuss issues whenever necessary.”

Q. As an opposition party, what are some government policies you would like to cooperate on and what are those you would like to block?

A. “We are in favor of increasing the number of medical schools, in principle. We are open to discussions if the government brings a concrete proposal. We will stop the government from cutting the R&D budget. Other countries are focusing on securing fiscal resources to resolve economic uncertainty, but the Yoon government is moving backwards. The government needs to drastically change its economic policy.”

Q. What about impeaching Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon?
A. “There are people in the party who think that it is legally possible to impeach Minister Han, and those who think it will be difficult. We will wait until the end of October, when the parliamentary inspection is over, to see if there is any change in the attitude of the president, the government, and the ruling party.”

Q. Do you think disciplinary action is necessary against the five people who voted in favor of Lee Jae-myung’s arrest motion?

A. “The passage of the motion cannot be seen as the problem. However, we need to take more action against those who slander the party leader or leadership and repeatedly threaten the party leadership system without any grounds. I don’t necessarily agree with disciplinary action, but I don’t think we can let it pass, either. In a political organization, political accountability, which goes beyond legal standards and disciplinary measures, is more important.”

Q. What do you mean by political accountability?

A. “They probably know whether their words and actions would help bring the party together and win the next election. They are probably aware of what the party members and supporters want. In that sense, as politicians, they should take political responsibility for their actions.”

Q. There are some who believe that former prime ministers Kim Boo-kyum and Lee Nak-yon (Lee Nak-yeon) should be brought in as star players in the party’s parliamentary election campaign next year.

A. “It is natural for a political party to seek help from anyone they need to win the next parliamentary elections. Once we determine what kind of competition we will face in the next parliamentary election, we will have to recruit the appropriate people.”

Q. What do you think about former lawmakers Park Jie-won, Chung Dong-young, and Chun Jung-bae running in the general elections next April?

A. “There are calls for a new generation of people and bold changes in faces already a part of the existing political circle. We need to think about how we are going to meet such demands.”

Q. What do you think about reforming the electoral system?

A. “I think we need to secure at least 75 seats through proportional representation and expand mixed-memberproportional representation. If we can’t agree on that, then we will go with the current system. But satellite parties canturn the electoral system into a laughing stock.”

Q. What is the party’s plan if there is a third motion to arrest Lee?
A. “The request for an arrest warrant against Lee is political retaliation. Seeking separate warrants for each charge against an opposition leader is something unheard of. Generally, we have no interest in cooperating with warrants on actions taken while conducting official duties and not on individual corruption.”

Q. How would you respond to an arrest warrant for lawmakers accused of accepting envelopes of cash during the party convention?

A. “They may be subject to prosecution, but based on similar precedents, I don’t think it is sufficient grounds for an arrest.”