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| ▲ Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung speaks during a general meeting of lawmakers at the National Assembly on Oct. 25, 2022. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
DP-Yoon
Main opposition party boycotts Yoon's budget speech
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) boycotted President Yoon Suk-yeol's budget speech Tuesday in protest of what it calls suppression of the opposition, marking the first such boycott in South Korea's history.
DP lawmakers did not attend the 10 a.m. session and instead held a silent protest upon Yoon's arrival at the National Assembly. DP leaders also stayed away from a meeting Yoon held with the National Assembly speaker and other key figures ahead of the speech.
It marked the first opposition boycott of a budget speech the president has delivered in person, though opposition lawmakers have a record of boycotting a budget speech read by the prime minister on behalf of the president.
Rep. Park Hong-keu, floor leader of the DP, said the party cannot attend the speech at a time when the Yoon administration "suppresses the opposition party and denies the legislature while turning a blind eye to people's livelihoods."
The boycott came a day after prosecutors raided the DP headquarters as part of an investigation into allegations that a longtime confidant of party leader Lee Jae-myung took illegal political funds that could have been used for Lee's election campaign.
Lee has rejected such allegations and denied any wrongdoing.
The DP has demanded Yoon apologize for "suppressing the opposition" and agree to an independent counsel investigation, claiming that the scandal also involved those close to Yoon.
"If the government and the ruling party annihilate the opposition and show their attempt to violently dominate, we can only but fight against them," the opposition leader said during a general meeting of lawmakers earlier in the day. "We declare to fight with the people until the end."
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