[Gangnam Perspective] The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea Entangled in Political Disgust

Just six months after the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, a series of corruption allegations have erupted within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), becoming the subject of widespread public debate. The DPK leadership, led by Jung Chung-rae, has been unable to find a way out of the quagmire of daily scandals. Although the judiciary has yet to deliver a clear verdict, a string of serious misconducts continues to surface. As a result, political disgust—sentiments that conservatives and progressives are no different—is spreading.
Numerous DPK lawmakers have come under fire for various allegations. Lawmakers such as Kim Byung-kee, Kang Sun-woo, Kim Nam-kuk, Chun Jae-soo, Lee Chun-seok, and Jang Kyung-tae have all been implicated in a range of scandals, making them targets of public criticism. The accusations include accepting large sums of money for nominations, illicit wealth accumulation, family-related corruption, transactions under borrowed names, abuse of power, and sexual harassment.
A 'red alert' has been raised regarding the integrity of the Lee Jae-myung administration and the ruling party. The clean political image that the DPK has long pursued now faces the risk of collapsing overnight. Revelations from close aides have even sparked signs of internal division. To make matters worse, the appointment of a conservative opposition figure to the Lee Jae-myung cabinet for the sake of bipartisan cooperation has also become a source of controversy. Lee Hye-hoon, the nominee for the inaugural Minister of Planning and Budget, is facing criticism within the ruling party itself for allegations of verbal abuse and mistreatment of aides. The controversy over her significant wealth accumulation has further deepened concerns at Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House).
Resignations and departures from the party have followed in an attempt to contain the crisis early. Kim Byung-kee stepped down as floor leader due to allegations of his spouse's misuse of local council business expenses. Kang Sun-woo, previously criticized for mistreating aides, left the party after new allegations surfaced regarding the acceptance of money in exchange for nominations.
Kim Nam-kuk resigned from his post at the Office of the President of the Republic of Korea's Digital Communications Center following controversy over so-called 'recommendation request' text messages. Chun Jae-soo stepped down as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries amid bribery allegations linked to the Unification Church. Lee Chun-seok left the DPK after being caught trading stocks under an aide's name during a National Assembly of the Republic of Korea plenary session, which led to suspicions of borrowed-name transactions.
However, the opposition's attacks have only intensified. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, has raised the stakes by insisting that Lee Jae-myung, who was the DPK leader at the time, should also be investigated over the party’s 'one hundred million won nomination bribe' scandal. He has called for Kim Byung-kee and Kang Sun-woo to resign their parliamentary seats and demanded a special investigation into Kang, who was expelled from the DPK. Calls for the expulsion of Jang Kyung-tae, who faces sexual harassment allegations, have also been made. Regarding the controversy over Lee Hye-hoon's alleged abuse and harsh language, President Lee has been urged to withdraw her nomination and issue a public apology. Chun Ha-ram, floor leader of the Reform Party, criticized Hyun-Ji Kim, the first secretary at the Office of the President of the Republic of Korea, suggesting that 'Hyun-Ji should step in' regarding Lee Hye-hoon's resignation.
The Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP) has also called on the DPK to conduct a thorough review of all nominations, arguing that any budding issues must be cut off before they come due.
The embattled ruling party is moving toward reform after holding an early by-election for floor leader. The new floor leader will be tasked with leading the party to victory in the June 3 Local Elections, which will be held at the end of the remaining five-month term. In effect, this person will serve as a firefighter whose mission ends with the local elections. The outcome of these elections is expected to serve as a report card for the first year of the Lee Jae-myung administration and a judgment on the various scandals that have plagued the DPK.
Some within the ruling party still hope to repeat the landslide victory the DPK achieved in the 2018 local elections held after the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, believing that the June 3 Local Elections will deliver a verdict against the opposition for supporting the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. However, unless both the ruling party, tainted by scandals, and the opposition, which has not fully severed ties with anti-government forces, succeed in drastic reforms, neither side can guarantee a sweeping victory. Comprehensive reform of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea is needed to break the cycle of public disgust with politics.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter