Lee administration faces...
Updated : 2025-10-18 00:21:13 KST
[WEEKLY FOCUS] Lee administration faces scrutiny in first Assembly audit shaped by partisan divide
This week, the Lee Jae Myung administration's first National Assembly audit kicked off with high partisan tensions — setting the tone for the three-week reviewing process. For more, we have our political correspondent Moon Hye-ryeon joining us in the studio to tell us more. Hye-ryeon, the audit began on Monday — what are the main targets and objectives for this review? The National Assembly audit is a major annual review of government and public institution performance, with top officials reporting and answering questions. This year's audit, the first under the Lee Jae Myung administration, has 17 committees reviewing over 800 agencies.
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scrutiny 정밀 조사, 철저한 검토 (=inspection)
audit 감사
setting the tone 풍조를 만들다[확립하다]
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Lawmakers are focusing on the early performance of the Lee administration, sparking partisan conflict. The ruling Democratic Party sees the audit as a chance to showcase stability and reform, while the opposition People Power Party aims to expose mismanagement and defend former Yoon administration policies. The review therefore covers issues from recent mass hacking incidents to new government reforms and policies. That does give us some insight to why tensions have been high this week, could you tell us more about how the partisan divide has been shaping the audit proceedings so far? There were sharp clashes between the DP and the PPP from the onset of the audits — with the DP's decision to conduct an on-site inspection of the Supreme Court being one of the fiercest flashpoints.
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fierce [fɪərs] 격렬한, 맹렬한
flashpoint 촉즉발의 상황, (비유적) 화약고
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Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de faced intense questioning from the ruling bloc over a ruling finding President Lee guilty of false claims during his presidential election campaign in 2022, while opposition lawmakers called the session politically motivated. Tension further rose when Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae appeared before the audit but refused questioning. "If judges are made to testify about their rulings simply because they presided over a certain case, it could discourage them from making judgments based on the Constitution, the law, and their conscience — and even lead to decisions swayed by outside pressures."
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ruling (특히 판사의) 결정, 판결
finding (법정의) 판결[평결]
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At the Finance Committee, the DP has defended Lee's proposed tax reforms as "normalization of the fiscal system," while the PPP argues the changes — especially corporate tax hikes and property tax revisions — will weaken market confidence and stunt investment recovery. "In some ways, I think the previous administration's tax system collapsed. I believe we are now quickly restoring that broken tax structure to normal. Take a look at the indicators. What is the most fundamental principle of tax policy? It's securing stable tax revenue."
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stunt ~ 을 저해하다, …을 위축하게 하다
indicator 지표
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"If you look at the corporate tax levels in advanced global economies, this is effectively a corporate tax increase. I don't know how much additional revenue raising it by 1% would actually generate, but I believe such a bill — one that discourages and undermines corporate spirit — needs to be reconsidered carefully." But the audits also extended beyond partisan disputes, touching on a wide range of policy areas.
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At a foreign affairs committee audit, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated that there is a possibility of a North Korea-U.S. summit on the sidelines of the upcoming APEC Leaders' Meeting, and reaffirmed the "END" initiative --"exchange," "normalization" and "denuclearization" for Seoul's stance. And during a culture committee audit, Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young highlighted concerns over slowing growth in Korea's cultural industries, stressing the need for active investment. Looking ahead, what can we expect in the coming weeks as the audit continues? The National Assembly will also be taking its audit overseas — to Cambodia.
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Following crimes against South Korean nationals, including the kidnapping and killing of a university student by a local gang, the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee will conduct an on-site inspection next Wednesday. It aims to review the status of crimes targeting Koreans in Southeast Asia, with the DP and the PPP clashing over who is to blame for the crimes. The DP says that crimes have surged over the past two years while the previous embassy and Foreign Ministry failed to act, while the PPP argued the ambassador post was vacant at the time, blaming the current administration.
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And beyond the audits, the two parties have agreed to hold a plenary session on October 26th to process 70 livelihood-related bills, including measures to prevent emergency room turnaways and support childcare centers in remote areas. The session was set for a Sunday to avoid overlapping with ongoing audits, and both parties have pledged cooperation to ensure the swift passage of these pending bills. Thank you for your report Hye-ryeon, keep us posted. Thanks for having me.
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turnaway 떠나가는 것, 외면하는 것, 내버려두는 것
pending bill 미결[미정]인[계류 중]인 법안
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영어 원문 출처 및 동영상 링크;
arirang news/Nat'l/Politics
https://m.arirang.com/news/view?id=288227
