Chung Jeom-sik: "Top priority for parliamentary audit is the alleged behind-the-scenes 'Seongnam-Gyeonggi line'"... Calls for parliamentary investigation into "DMZ incident"

[Financial News] Chung Jeom-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party, said on the 28th that he would uncover allegations of state intervention by the behind-the-scenes "Seongnam-Gyeonggi line" during the parliamentary audit beginning next week. He also stressed the need for a hearing and parliamentary investigation into the land mine blast in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Chung Jeom-sik said at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, "There has been an urgent demand to uncover the reality of the meddling in personnel appointments by behind-the-scenes power brokers in the Seongnam-Gyeonggi line, as well as the causes and responsibility for the continuing personnel disasters." He added, "The People Power Party will make allegations of the behind-the-scenes power brokers' intervention in state affairs the top priority of the parliamentary audit."
Regarding public sentiment during Chuseok, Chung Jeom-sik said, "There was anger toward a regime that plunders the people's assets, including real estate, farmland and stocks." He added, "The president's arrogance in labeling innocent citizens as speculators and treating them as targets of reform must change."
He continued, "The people urged the opposition to come to its senses, unite firmly, check the tyranny of the Lee Jae Myung administration, and be reborn as a governing party capable of presenting policy alternatives that protect people's livelihoods and the Constitution." He added, "The People Power Party will be reborn as an alternative opposition party that strongly checks the government and ruling party for the remainder of the regular session."
Regarding the DMZ land mine blast, he said, "The military began preparations on the 26th to investigate the site of the DMZ land mine blast. That was a full five days after the accident occurred." He added, "The military's conduct over the past several days was completely unacceptable. Even though it is almost certain that North Korea was responsible, Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul said it was impossible to tell whether the land mine was ours or North Korea's."
He continued, "There are allegations that the military rejected the United Nations Command's request to share information and access the site on the day of the accident." He added, "There are even reports that the phrase 'land mine believed to be North Korean' in the initial report was arbitrarily deleted."
Chung Jeom-sik said, "There was also a land mine accident in the 1st Division during the Park Geun-hye administration in 2015. At the time, the military immediately recovered the land mine fragments that same day and determined within six days that North Korea was responsible." He argued, "The reason the military has deteriorated so badly compared with 10 years ago is the left-wing regime's policy of submission toward North Korea."
He criticized the government, saying, "One of the leading possibilities in this accident is North Korea's violation of the Military Demarcation Line and the planting of land mines." He added, "If that is true, the delusions of the left-wing regime have sacrificed our soldiers."
He said, "Even under these circumstances, President Lee Jae Myung is arguing for a swap of lifting sanctions against North Korea for a freeze on its nuclear program. What weakness does he have with North Korea that he would say he is willing to offer tribute on his own?" He added, "It is difficult to tell whether he is the president of the Republic of Korea or North Korea's public defender."
He also called for action, saying, "While the military authorities were dragging out the investigation under one pretext or another, torrential rain fell at the site. There are concerns that evidence may have been lost." He added, "The military's conduct was closer to deliberate concealment and burying the case than an investigation. The truth must be uncovered through a National Assembly hearing and a parliamentary investigation."

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