[Politics & Diplomacy] Tensions rise in Assembly as extraordinary session nears end despite Pres. Lee's emphasis on unity

At the same time, unity has long been President Lee Jae Myung's core message to parliament.

But tensions in the Assembly are yet to be tamed as an extraordinary session nears its end.

We turn to our political correspondent Shin Ha-young for more.

Hello, Ha-young.

Good evening.

The country is now marking one month since Lee Jae Myung took office after the snap presidential election that put him in charge.

What has been President Lee's approach toward the National Assembly so far?

I followed Lee Jae Myung's campaign trail during his candidacy, where he emphasized national unity as one of his key pledges.

After becoming president, he extended that message to the rival parties in the National Assembly.

During his inauguration, President Lee caught attention by wearing a red, white and blue tie, symbolizing his message of unity across political affiliations.

Lee also had lunch with Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties, demonstrating his commitment to national unity from the very first day of his term.

Take a listen.

"I hope we can make compromises and reach agreements on policies that improve people's lives. I want politics to move away from hostility and toward respectful dialogue and healthy competition."

Last week, Lee hosted a luncheon with leaders of the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition People Power Party at the presidential residence.

All sides described the gathering as a meaningful step toward candid dialogue and agreed to meet regularly.

What was the first significant move from the ruling party after Lee took office?

Back in power after three years, the ruling DP, which holds a majority in the 22nd National Assembly, has accelerated its efforts to pass contentious bills previously vetoed by the former administration.

In the first plenary session, a day after Lee took office, the DP unilaterally passed three special investigation bills, including one into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law and related insurrection charges.

And all this happened while most PPP lawmakers boycotted the vote.

Meanwhile, the rival parties reached a compromise today on a revision to the Commercial Act one of the contentious bills they've been clashing over with plans to pass it in a plenary session tomorrow.

As you mentioned earlier, Lee has made efforts to get the rival parties to work together. Then, can we say there has been progress?

Well, it may be too early to say President Lee's message of unity has taken root in parliament.

This is because, as the June extraordinary session nears its end, the rival parties remain deeply divided over four-term lawmaker Kim Min-seok's qualifications to serve as Prime Minister.

President Lee nominated Kim for the post, but last week's confirmation hearing for Kim quickly devolved into arguments and harsh exchanges.

With no agreement on witnesses between the parties, the hearing proceeded without any a first for a prime minister nominee.

The PPP has refused to adopt the confirmation hearing report, citing Kim's failure to submit key documents, mainly about his wealth and family, while the DP plans to push for an Assembly vote to approve him by July 4.

"For the first time, the confirmation hearing is being held without witnesses. It's a blind hearing due to the nominee's failure to submit requested data, having not given consent to share personal information."

"There have been many unfair and unreasonable demands for documents. Is this really a proper confirmation hearing, or just an attempt to embarrass and criticize?"

Well, I hear there's also a standoff over the new administration's extra budget bill.

You're right.

The bipartisan standoff over the supplementary budget follows President Lee, a former DP leader, returning to the National Assembly to deliver his first budget speech, which drew mixed reactions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

The DP pledged full support for the swift passage of the supplementary budget, calling it necessary to revive the economy and protect livelihoods.

In sharp contrast, the PPP found fault with the proposal, in particular, the cash handouts, calling them "ineffective" and warning of the growing national debt.

Despite the ongoing tensions, the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee approved a 13-point-2 trillion Korean won, or about 9-point-7 billion U.S. dollars, supplementary budget on Tuesday to fund consumption vouchers, with both parties agreeing to the plan.

Now, tomorrow marks a month since President Lee took office.

All eyes remain on how Lee and the National Assembly will handle the ongoing standoff between the rival parties and work toward bipartisan cooperation and that's something to watch closely throughout his presidency.

Alright, thank you for the wrap-up, Ha-young.

My pleasure.