By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter


Grand National Party chairwoman Park Geun-hye speaks at the National Assembly in Yoido, Seoul, Wednesday. / Korea Times

Rep. Park Geun-hye, chairwoman of the opposition Grand National Party (GNP), Wednesday called on the ruling Uri Party to withdraw its plan to pass four controversial reform bills, which she described as ``leftist’’ and in conflict with the principles of a market economy.

Another round of harsh political wrangling is expected to start early next month when the related committees in the National Assembly begin a scheduled review of the four bills recently introduced by the Uri Party.

``If the Roh Moo-hyun government fails to relinquish its leftist policies as reflected in the four bills, economic recovery will be hard to achieve,’’ the conservative party leader said in her speech to the Assembly. ``This country will be further isolated in global society unless the ruling camp acknowledges our criticism.’’

Underlining the current economic depression, she said the Uri Party should pay more attention to improving peoples’ livelihoods and discontinue its move to pass the four bills, which include annulment of the National Security Law, a review of the nation’s modern history, regulation of the media market and the management of private schools.

``The four bills are dividing the people and fracturing public opinion,’’ she said. ``Our efforts to revive the economy will all be for nothing if the ruling camp disrupts the system of the Republic of Korea.’’

On the economic front, Park criticized the Roh administration’s plan to increase the government expenditure as a ``narcotic’’ that will only hype the economy temporarily.

She clarified that the GNP will seek policies for a ``small government and big market,’’ a countermeasure to the ruling camp’s attempt to introduce a Korean version of the ``New Deal’’ that was driven by former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s.

After the conclusion of the speech session, Rep. Chun Jung-bae, floor leader of the Uri Party, compared Park’s way of thinking to a ``coup’’ that tries to abolish the political principles of dialogue and compromise.

``It’s very regrettable that the opposition party has refused to take part in our proposed talks,’’ Chun said. ``It’s good for the GNP to criticize our policies, but they should stop attacking us with absurd logic like `the leftists are ruining the economy.’ That’s not true.’’

South Korea still has many conservatives who display anti-communist sentiment and disapprove of ``leftist’’ ideologies.

Concerning Park’s proposal for a parliamentary committee for balanced regional development, Chun said: ``Even though we can study the offer, I still can’t believe they are sincere. They always try to come up something when it’s favorable to them.’’

During her speech, Park also spoke of the validity of the National Security Law, which the GNP believes is the last bastion to protect the country from North Korea’s ideological attacks.

``If the Roh administration pushes its wild plan to abolish the law, we will struggle to safeguard the Republic of Korea,’’ she said. ``I promise I will be at the front of the fight as the leader of our party.’’

Park urged the ruling camp not to raise more disputes and accept the Constitutional Court’s ruling against the government’s plan to relocate the administrative capital out of Seoul.

The court last Thursday ruled unconstitutional an Assembly-approved law supporting the government project to move the country’s capital to the agricultural Yongi-Kongju area in South Chungchong Province.

Roh said nobody can dispute the legal validity of the court ruling in his budget speech to the Assembly read by Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan on Monday. The president, however, claimed a day later that the court ruling had ``undermined the parliament’s legislative power.’’

The GNP chairwoman said the president’s comment reflected his ``lack of understanding’’ of a constitutional state.

Park’s speech came before a five-day interpellation session the Assembly is set to begin Thursday.

Chun addressed the unicameral parliament a day earlier, expressing his regret for the court’s verdict. The Uri Party leader also announced his plan to improve inter-Korean relations, including a visit to Pyongyang, if necessary.

Such speeches can currently only be made by the leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties, as they are limited to parties with more than 20 Assembly seats.

im@Koreatimes.co.kr