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Jun Hyun-hee, senior deputy chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Oct. 9. / Source: Yonhap News

As the Chuseok holidays came to a close, South Korea’s rival parties reignited their political sparring — setting the stage for a heated confrontation during the upcoming National Assembly audit.

The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) vowed to push forward with its “three major reforms,” while the People Power Party (PPP) criticized President Lee Jae-myung’s recent appearance on a TV entertainment show, urging the administration to “focus on the people’s livelihoods.”

DPK spokesperson Kim Hyun-jung said Thursday, “During the Chuseok holidays, the PPP’s reckless obstruction only deprived the public of comfort and peace. The people are baffled that the presidential office keeps linking staff appointments to the First Lady’s status. The PPP’s baseless political bickering has only caused public discomfort, while the real victim is people’s livelihoods.”

Senior DPK official Jun Hyun-hee added, “Public sentiment over the first four months of the Lee administration was that it marked the beginning of national normalization and a hopeful four years ahead. Local businesses revived through consumption coupons, and the KOSPI is racing toward 4,000. The Democratic Party will steadfastly carry out the people’s mandate — clearing away the remnants of insurrection and revitalizing the economy.”

Jun stressed that the party would complete the three key reforms — judicial, prosecutorial, and media reform. “It is the judiciary itself that reignited the need for reform with its self-protective rulings. Prosecutors’ collective resistance only proves why reform is necessary, and media reform must be finalized by rooting out false and manipulative reporting under the guise of journalism,” she said.

Jun also pledged to ensure full recovery from the National Information Resources Service outage and to prepare preventive measures. She then criticized the PPP for “stoking political strife even during the nation’s biggest holiday.”

“The PPP, which fanned the flames of conflict during Chuseok, should rename itself the ‘People’s Burden Party,’” Jun quipped. “President Lee and the First Lady’s entertainment appearance was a strategic move to globalize K-food. The PPP must apologize to the people and the president for spreading lies and disinformation. The upcoming audit should be one of ‘cleansing, reform, and recovery.’ Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae must appear before the National Assembly and clearly explain the election interference allegations,” she said.

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk criticized the president, saying, “Stop caring only about Kim Hyun-ji (the First Lady) and start caring about the lives of the people. It was neither a rich nor peaceful holiday — only full of discomfort and unease. The people are anxious.”

He continued, “The Lee administration says it aims to finalize the tariff negotiations before APEC, yet behind the scenes it blames everything on the U.S. with anti-American rhetoric. Our companies are struggling under high tariffs, and now even the EU plans to halve duty-free quotas on steel and raise tariffs to 50 percent. The president should focus on tariffs, not refrigerator shows.”

PPP floor leader Song Eon-seok also joined in, saying, “While the president was on TV enjoying a rice-crust pizza, citizens were groaning under a 30 percent surge in rice prices. When he was filming that show, the government’s IT system was paralyzed, and even when the program aired, the recovery rate was only around 20 percent. The tragic death of a field official reminds us once again that only working-level staff pay the price.”

“Despite public calls to postpone the broadcast, the president’s smiling face aired nationwide,” Song said. “The Lee administration and the Democratic Party should heed the Chuseok sentiment calling for attention to cold, harsh livelihoods over political strife.”