[2026 National Assembly Audit] Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee Votes to Compel Former DaeYoo Winia Chairman to Appear; Dispute Over Honam Semiconductor Cluster Witnesses

Calls for Samsung and SK working-level officials to appear draw Democratic Party response: "Agency witnesses are enough"
Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan also nominated as a witness over industrial accidents
Ruling and opposition parties spar over

The National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee voted to issue orders compelling the attendance of Park Young-woo, former chairman of Daeyu Winia, and Park Eun-jin, CEO of DYA, in connection with the wage arrears crisis. The ruling and opposition parties clashed over the selection of witnesses related to the Honam semiconductor cluster, spending much of the morning meeting debating the issue.

At a plenary meeting on the 19th, the committee voted to issue orders compelling the attendance of former Chairman Park and CEO Park. Kim Jeong-ho, chair of the committee, said, "There were calls to issue the orders and to file complaints if they are not obeyed." He added, "We determined that action was needed to ensure the authority of the National Assembly is not ignored any further."

People Power Party members walked out of a parliamentary audit held by the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee on the 19th, protesting the selection of witnesses. Provided by Yonhap News.

The parties clashed over the People Power Party's demand to call representatives of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix as witnesses to review site selection for the Honam semiconductor cluster and the status of securing power and water infrastructure.

Lee Jong-bae of the People Power Party criticized the committee, saying, "Today is the deadline for selecting witnesses," and, "I don't understand why the ruling party is not cooperating with the attendance of conglomerate chiefs." Kim Wi-sang, also of the People Power Party, added, "The failure to properly select witnesses is the responsibility of the chair and the ruling party."

Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party said, "We are not insisting solely on the attendance of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong or SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won." She added, "For the success of the Honam semiconductor cluster, we should also call responsible working-level officials who can brief us on the status of securing power, water and land."

There were also calls to summon Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan as a witness in connection with industrial accidents. Yoon Jae-ok of the People Power Party said, "If we cannot even call witnesses when 23 people have died in 19 accidents at Hanwha affiliates since the Serious Accidents Punishment Act took effect, then there is no reason for our committee, which is responsible for industrial safety, to exist."

The Democratic Party of Korea, however, took a cautious stance on selecting additional witnesses. Assemblyman Kim Joo-young said, "Since the heads of Korea Electric Power Corporation and power generation companies are attending, we can ask institutional witnesses about power and water issues," drawing a line at selecting company representatives as witnesses. Assemblyman Eo Ki-gu also said, "We spend the entire morning session on witness disputes every time," and called on the ruling and opposition party floor leaders to "proceed with questioning first and continue discussions on witnesses through to the end."

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