Jung Cheong-rae, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Na Kyung-won, a member of the People Power Party, on the 3rd, calling her statement telling junior lawmakers to “remain silent” an “unbelievable and unprecedented statement.” He mentioned that the time for the People Power Party to choose whether to disband on their own or be dissolved by the public and the Constitutional Court is approaching.
During a Democratic Party Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Jung criticized Na’s remarks, questioning if rookie lawmakers are simply spectators, asking if they are supposed to remain silent, or if rookies don’t understand what’s happening. He pointed out that whether a lawmaker is serving their first term or fourth term, they have the same salary and responsibilities. Being a five-term lawmaker does not make one five times more honorable than a rookie, and he believes there are many first-term lawmakers who are superior to the entrenched fifth-term ones.
Jung also challenged Na to clarify her position on her ongoing trial for violating the National Assembly Advancement Act, her stance on martial law, and whether she agrees with the calls for the release of former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Geon-hee, as suggested by some within the People Power Party.
Furthermore, Jung mentioned that a recent report by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) suggested the attack on Lee Jae-myung, while he was leader of the Democratic Party, should not be classified as a terrorist act. This, he argued, provides evidence of an organized effort at the governmental level to conceal, downplay, distort, and fabricate the incident.
Jung also referenced media reports concerning former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho of the People Power Party, suggesting that if allegations of obstruction of proceedings were proven true, resulting in a guilty verdict for high treason, it would render the People Power Party a treasonous organization. Consequently, he argued, the party would face dissolution from the Constitutional Court, drawing parallels with the Unified Progressive Party case, implying that the People Power Party should be dissolved multiple times over.