The Democratic Party of Korea announced plans to accelerate livelihood legislation in the National Assembly, drawing on public sentiment during the Chuseok holiday. The party continued to apply pressure on Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, who rejected the Blue House's request for a re-nomination of Supreme Court candidates.
According to Yonhap News, Kwon Chil-seung, the party's policy chief, held a press conference on the last day of the holiday, stating, "The most pressing issue for the public during the holiday was livelihood." In response to a question about the most painful voices from the public, Kwon said, "It is the livelihood aspect. Although export and economic growth rates have risen to levels similar to the peak of South Korea's economy, the benefits of economic growth have not been evenly distributed, which is a painful issue for the government and ruling party responsible for policy."
He emphasized, "While external economic indicators have improved significantly, the reality of people's lives remains challenging. We will do our utmost to ensure that the fruits of growth and warmth are distributed evenly." Kwon also highlighted that both ruling and opposition party policy committees have agreed to expedite legislation focused on common pledges and interests in the livelihood sector.
He outlined policy directions including reducing housing and transportation costs, expanding opportunities for youth asset formation, revitalizing capital markets, supporting small businesses, and enhancing security. Kwon noted, "Recently, there was a serious incident involving our soldiers being injured by an explosion believed to be caused by a landmine in the front-line area. It is essential to identify the exact cause first. We will conduct an objective investigation and thoroughly verify whether safety protocols were followed during operations to prevent similar incidents from recurring."
The Democratic Party also continued its offensive against Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, who expressed his refusal to the Blue House's request for a re-nomination of Supreme Court candidates during President Lee Jae-myung's overseas trip. Park Sung-jun, the party's chief spokesperson, pointed out during the press conference, "Citizens have been asking why Chief Justice Cho is acting this way. He appears to be different from previous chief justices, walking the path of a politician rather than a legal professional." He added, "When meeting the president, he smiles in front but stabs from behind, which is not the behavior expected of a chief justice. Citizens have expressed high levels of criticism, stating that this is not the conduct of a chief justice but rather a failure of human decency."
On the same day, spokesperson Lee Yong-woo also stated during a National Assembly briefing that "the refusal of Chief Justice Cho's re-nomination is an arbitrary decision that disregards the opinions of the Court Administration Office and others," intensifying the party's criticism.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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