Ruling and Opposition Clash over 'Questioning Time' at Science, ICT Committee Audit: "Privatizing the Audit," "Truly Tiresome" (Roundup)

Clash over questioning time at parliamentary audit by Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee
Opposition lawmaker Kim Janggeyeom: "Aide demanded apology over 'KBS pressure' allegations"
Ruling-party lawmaker Han Junho: "Apologize for

The ruling and opposition parties clashed on October 15 over negotiations on allocating questioning time during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee.

Kim Jang-gyeom of the People Power Party said that day, “During negotiations over questioning time, I was told that staff to Han Junho of the Democratic Party of Korea, the ruling party’s committee secretary, said, ‘Assemblyman Kim Jang-gyeom must apologize’ if the time is to be increased from 5-3-2 minutes (main questions, supplementary questions and follow-up questions) to 7-5-3 minutes.” He added, “This is about my raising allegations that Assemblyman Han exerted pressure on KBS.”

Assemblyman Han immediately pushed back, saying, “This is truly tiresome.” He said, “The 5-3-2-minute allocation was agreed upon by the committee secretaries of the two parties, and changing it requires conditions commensurate with the change and the need to persuade our lawmakers. I said we could negotiate only if there was an apology, at the very least, for attacking the other party’s committee secretary with false claims.”

Song Giheon, chair of the National Assembly Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, talks with Han Junho of the Democratic Party of Korea, the ruling party’s committee secretary, and Choi Hyeongdu of the People Power Party, the opposition party’s committee secretary, during a parliamentary audit of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency and other organizations at the National Assembly on the 15th. Yonhap News Agency

Choi Hyeongdu of the People Power Party, the opposition party’s committee secretary, said, “I deeply regret the staff member’s remark that an apology was required.” He added, “It is problematic to demand an apology from the lawmaker in question—who could use it to evade responsibility for his own actions by linking lawmakers’ questions to the case involving a violation of the Broadcasting Act—while taking time away from lawmakers’ questions.”

Song Giheon of the Democratic Party of Korea, chair of the committee, finalized the questioning-time allocation at 7-5-3 minutes. He said, “I don’t think Assemblyman Han’s staff directly demanded an apology from Assemblyman Kim or his staff. This is something that could reasonably be raised during negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties. I deeply regret that discussions from the negotiations have become public.”

Assemblyman Kim later held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center, saying, “Assemblyman Han used the questioning time for the parliamentary audit as leverage to demand that I apologize for raising allegations that he exerted pressure on KBS over its reporting about him.” He reiterated his criticism, saying, “The questioning time for the parliamentary audit is neither Assemblyman Han’s private property nor a bargaining chip to advance his personal interests.”

Assemblyman Han said, “The Democratic Party of Korea agreed in good faith to the 5:3:2 proposal put forward by the People Power Party.” He added, “It is hard to understand why they are now complaining about the 5:3:2 allocation after we accepted the proposal they made.”

He continued, “Assemblyman Kim used parliamentary immunity to present allegations he himself raised as if they were facts and spread false claims that there had been a violation of the Broadcasting Act.” He added, “He should explain why he filed the complaint in the name of the People Power Party rather than his own. If he is prepared to take responsibility for his claims, I hope he will file the complaint in his own name.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.