Yoon calls for DP’s bipartisan support at the National Assembly

May 17, 2022, 08:31 am

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President Yoon Suk-yeol makes his first budget speech at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 16, 2022./ Photographed by Lee Byung-hwa

AsiaToday reporter Lee Wook-jae

President Yoon Suk-yeol delivered his first budget speech at the National Assembly on Monday, six days after taking office, and raised guard toward North Korea, saying, “North Korea continues to advance its nuclear weapons day by day.” He noted that the North fired ballistic missiles on May 12, calling it the “16th provocation this year alone” and called for the main opposition Democratic Party’s “bipartisan cooperation.”

Yoon called for parliamentary support in passing the government’s supplementary budget plan. He is the second president following Moon Jae-in to directly give a speech at the National Assembly over an extra budget.

Yoon’s unusually early visit to the National Assembly is seemingly aimed at encouraging the opposition bloc’s cooperation to address various challenges that the country is facing.

“The seriousness of the crisis and challenges we are facing is demanding for a bipartisan cooperation stronger than ever,” the president said. “I have a belief that true liberal democracy is parliamentarianism. Parliamentarianism is that the parliament is the center of state affairs. I will discuss closely with parliamentary leaders and members on major issues of state affairs, as well as bills and budgets. I think it ought to be like that. The National Assembly’s support is urgent.” He stressed for the parliamentary cooperation by repeatedly referring to words such as “parliamentarianism,” “cooperation,” “partnership,” and more.

It seems Yoon strategically decided to keep a low profile as he judged that it would not be easy to handle state affairs without cooperation of the Democratic Party, which has an overwhelming majority of seats. At the moment, Yoon is also having difficulties in managing the approval of Prime Minister nominee Han Duk-soo, who will lead the cabinet.

Yoon said the circumstances in and outside the country are challenging, citing the “crisis of people’s livelihood” and North Korea’s “armed provocation” as examples, and called for the DP’s cooperation. In addition, Yoon citied the wartime coalition cabinet of the British Conservative Party and the Labour Party during World War II as an example of bipartisan cooperation. “The partnership between Churchill and Attlee is needed more than ever.”

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