PPP floor leader urges Unification Minister to resign as parliamentary audit opens
In short
People Power Party floor leader Jung Jeom-sik told his party's parliamentary audit countermeasure meeting on Oct 6 that Unification Minister Chung Dong-young “spouts the language of treason” and must resign immediately. Jung also said Foreign Minister Cho Hyun sought independent cyber sanctions on North Korea after a DMZ landmine explosion while Chung objected, and called for a parliamentary investigation and a special prosecutor over front-line guard lapses. The PPP said it will use the audit to scrutinise the Lee Jae-myung government's policy failures and corruption.
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Jung Jeom-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party, used his party's parliamentary audit countermeasure meeting on the morning of Oct 6 to demand the resignation of Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, Asia Economy reported, with Maeil Business and Asia Economy also carrying photographs of him speaking at the National Assembly. Jung asked whether Chung was “South Korea's unification minister or the United Front Department director of the Workers' Party of Korea,” said the minister “spouts the language of treason,” and added that Chung “has no right to be a citizen, let alone a minister” and “must step down immediately.” [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Jung said that at the National Security Council, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called for independent cyber sanctions on North Korea in response to a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone, while Chung argued against it. He cited media reports of the clash between the two ministers. Jung described the incident as a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement and as “despicable North Korean aggression” in which a South Korean soldier was killed, and criticised the military's response of asking the North for an apology and the removal of mines as pleading for it to withdraw, rather than even low-intensity measures. [ 2 ]
Referring to a defence ministry audit, Jung said “empty-gun” guard measures had been in place across front-line units, but that the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Ground Operations Command said they had not known about them. He said it must be established who issued the order and that the matter warranted both a parliamentary investigation and a special prosecutor. [ 2 ]
Separately, Newsis reported that the PPP said it would use the parliamentary audit to verify the Lee Jae-myung government's policy failures and corruption. The same report carried remarks by Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-de at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Supreme Court in Yeouido, Seoul, who said the presidential office's document requesting reconsideration of a Supreme Court justice appointment did not clearly set out specific reasons or a constitutional basis, and that its intent was difficult to understand. [ 5 ]
Why it matters
The opening day of the National Assembly audit is being used by the main opposition party to press for a cabinet minister's dismissal and to demand a parliamentary investigation and a special prosecutor, opening a confrontation with the government over North Korea policy and military readiness. The same audit session also brought an unusual public account from the Supreme Court chief justice about the presidential office's judicial appointment request.
Key facts
- People Power Party floor leader Jung Jeom-sik spoke at the party's parliamentary audit countermeasure meeting at the National Assembly on the morning of Oct 6. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Jung said Unification Minister Chung Dong-young “spouts the language of treason,” has no qualification as a minister or a citizen, and must step down immediately. [ 2 ]
- Jung said that at the National Security Council, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun demanded independent cyber sanctions on North Korea over a DMZ landmine explosion, while Chung raised objections. [ 2 ]
- Jung called the landmine incident a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement and said the military asked North Korea for an apology and mine removal; he called for a parliamentary investigation and a special prosecutor over front-line guard lapses. [ 2 ]
- The PPP said it will verify the Lee Jae-myung government's policy failures and corruption in the parliamentary audit. [ 5 ]
- Chief Justice Cho Hee-de said the presidential office's request to reconsider a Supreme Court justice appointment did not clearly state specific reasons or a constitutional basis. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Unification Minister Chung Dong-young clashed at the National Security Council over cyber sanctions on North Korea. This is reported by one outlet as Jung's account, which he based on media reports; no other document confirms it.
- Details of the DMZ landmine explosion, including its date, location and the number of casualties. The documents only say a South Korean soldier was killed and describe the incident as an Armistice Agreement violation.
- Why the PPP's audit stance and Chief Justice Cho Hee-de's remarks appear in the same report. The Newsis article text is cut off and does not explain the link between the two items.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Maeil Business publishes a photo of PPP floor leader Jung Jeom-sik speaking at the party's parliamentary audit countermeasure meeting. [ 1 ]
- Asia Economy reports Jung's remarks calling for Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's resignation and criticising the response to the DMZ landmine incident. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy publishes a further photo of Jung giving his opening remarks at the meeting. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Newsis reports the PPP's pledge to verify the Lee Jae-myung government's policy failures and corruption, and Chief Justice Cho Hee-de's remarks at the Supreme Court audit. [ 5 ]