South Korean President Lee Jae-myung delivered his fourth address to the National Assembly since taking office on Monday, and the session exposed a sharp divide between the governing and opposition camps, according to 경향신문. Lawmakers from the Democratic Party applauded roughly 30 times during the speech, while members of the People Power Party staged a silent protest holding placards, one of which called for an end to what it described as pressure on the judiciary. The president made little effort to hide his irritation at the disruptions.
Why it matters
The exchange in the chamber is a signal of how strained relations remain between the president and the main opposition party as the budget process moves forward. The address was meant to lay out the government's spending priorities, but the confrontation over the courts and fiscal policy overshadowed the proceedings and set the tone for the negotiations to come.
A tense greeting before the speech
Before entering the chamber, Lee met with National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik, Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok and People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk, 경향신문 reported. Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, whom the ruling party is seeking to subject to a parliamentary investigation, also attended. The president greeted the chief justice with a brief "how are you," and told Jang it was good to see him, noting he appears often on television, according to the report.
In that pre-speech conversation, Lee addressed the opposition's argument that additional tax revenue should go toward paying down national debt rather than funding a new future-response fund. He said the position had some merit, but argued that if investing the money would help build a foundation for sustained growth, spending it on the future was the right course.
Protests inside and outside the chamber
People Power Party lawmakers held a rally in the Rotender Hall outside the main session room before the address began, 경향신문 reported. They carried signs reading "1,400 trillion won national debt, 162 trillion won future debt fund" and "stop pressuring the judiciary, protect trial independence," and chanted slogans accusing the government of burdening future generations and of political interference in court proceedings. The president offered them a brief greeting as he passed by.
The objections continued during the speech itself. When murmuring and jeers rose from the opposition benches, Lee paused and said that if members had something to say they should say it, and that he would finish afterward. When opposition lawmakers called out asking why new government bonds were being issued and demanding that trials resume, the president responded that he was in the middle of making his points and that the interruptions were unhelpful, adding that he would welcome specific input. He then asked whether he might continue, according to 경향신문.
After finishing, Lee shook hands with lawmakers from the Democratic Party, the Rebuilding Korea Party and the Progressive Party, and posed for photos with them. He also approached People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyung-tae, the only member of his party who remained in his seat until the end, and shook his hand.
Both sides claim the upper hand in post-speech statements
The two parties carried the argument into their official reactions. Democratic Party spokesperson Jeon Eun-su said in a written briefing that the opposition had staged a protest rally before the address even began, arguing that this was not the conduct of a responsible opposition party, and urged it to set aside political fighting and take part in budget deliberations seriously, 경향신문 reported.
People Power Party spokesperson Cho Yong-sul countered that the speech had demanded large-scale fiscal support to bolster the president's record rather than proposing a budget grounded in respect for both parties' views and national unity. He asked whether the government was trying to use taxpayers' money to recover its approval ratings.
The budget bill now moves into the committee stage, where the two sides will have to reconcile their positions on the future-response fund and debt repayment.
