LKP ends legislative boycott with no gains
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) has decided to end its week-long boycott of the National Assembly’s regular session as they made no political gains from the boycott but only got negative responses from the public.
Party spokesman Khang Hyo-shang told reporters Saturday the party’s Supreme Council decided to return to the Assembly, and the party will hold a general meeting Monday morning to decide when to officially return.
It is likely to return immediately after the meeting and participate in the interpellation session slated for that afternoon.
The decision came as the boycott was losing ground, seeing no fruitful outcome.
The LKP started the boycott Sept. 2, a day after a local court issued an emergency warrant to detain MBC President Kim Jang-gyeom for his alleged unfair labor practices.
Kim was accused of meddling in news production in favor of the previous Park Geun-hye government and abusing his authority in personnel matters by disadvantaging employees who refused to follow his directions. The warrant was issued as Kim had refused to answer four summonses by the Seoul regional labor office.
The party, however, defended Kim, claiming the Moon Jae-in administration was attempting to control the media.
But its boycott failed to gain public attention and support due to North Korea’s sixth nuclear test Sunday.
The political cycle moved fast, without the LKP: the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) adopted a resolution to denounce the North’s nuclear test along with the minor opposition People’s Party and the Bareun Party Monday.
Kim’s voluntary appearance at the labor office for investigation Tuesday also left the party little justification for its protest.
The boycott rather highlighted the main opposition party’s weak presence in legislative negotiations, analysts say.
LKP floor leader Chung Woo-taik demanded the government officially announce it has no intention to control the media, but to no avail.
The public also gave the party the cold shoulder, criticizing it for neglecting legislative activity amid growing security concerns.
According to a Korean Society Opinion Institute poll conducted with 1,014 respondents between Friday and Saturday, 69 percent viewed the LKP’s boycott unfavorably.
Under such circumstances, the party decided to return to the Assembly in order to “seek a legislative probe” into what it calls the ruling party’s attempt to control the media.
Khang refrained from mentioning what the party achieved from the boycott, virtually admitting it was of no avail.
Other parties all welcomed the LKP’s withdrawal of its boycott.
“The LKP must have realized how cold the public sentiment was about the boycott that ignored the livelihood of the people and was conducted amid a security crisis,” DPK spokesman Kang Hoon-sik said.