Opposition ups offensive against acting president

Opposition parties hardened the line against acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Friday, warning him against seeking a crack in their united front while refusing to consult with them, contrary to his previous promise.

The prime minister is “acting like” an elected leader, when he should remain a “manager” of state affairs, they said, adding they may “reconsider” replacing him.

The recent trigger was Hwang’s declining of the three opposition parties’ offer of four-way talks and counterproposal to meet each party separately.

“While the National Assembly is exploring various solutions on concerns of a vacuum, (Hwang) pretends to be the president as if he had been waiting for the passage of the impeachment motion (against President Park Geun-hye),” main opposition Democratic Party of Korea chair Rep. Choo Mi-ae said at a meeting with senior party members.

“The acting system under Hwang is no more or less than a short-term, transitional management leadership. With the motion’s approval, the prime minister was effectively discredited together with the president.”

Minor opposition People’s Party Floor Leader Rep. Park Jie-won also stepped up criticism over news reports Hwang sought to intervene in a probe into the 2014 ferry sinking, then as the justice minister.

The party’s interim leader Rep. Kim Dong-cheol also expressed “deep regret” after Hwang was found to have demanded presidential protocol during his visit to National Assembly Speaker Rep. Chung Sye-kyun on Thursday.

“The acting president is supposed to manage the crisis and clean up the deep-rooted evils within the Park Geun-hye administration,” Park Jie-won said during a party meeting. “People are very worried about his recent inappropriate acts.”

The opposition’s onslaught came amid a series of controversial moves from the premier.

Despite persistent calls for the ouster of Hwang, opposition parties have decided to wait and watch Hwang’s behavior, attempting to minimize confusion and prevent a vacuum in state management after Park’s duties were suspended.

Yet Hwang, who pledged to boost interactions within political circles and uphold the people’s wishes upon taking over the top job, is seen following in the footsteps of the disgraced president. While arranging a meeting with conservative elder politicians, he unilaterally instructed Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho to remain in charge, despite the ongoing debate over the legitimacy of his position.

“I clearly warn that if the acting president continues spending his energy on media manipulation and dividing the opposition, we three parties, together with the people, will move to replace him,” Rep. Sim Sang-jeung, chair of the minor opposition Justice Party, said at a news conference, urging Hwang to stop “having fun with playing the presidential role” and focus on crafting measures to shore up people’s livelihoods.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)