[Edaily Reporter Hyera Lee ] Rep. Cho Kyung-tae of the People Power Party explained on the 2nd that he shook hands with President Lee Jae-myung, who had visited the National Assembly to deliver his policy address on the budget bill, stating it was “a basic virtue of a politician.”
In an interview with E-Daily following the address on the 2027 budget bill and fund management plan held at the National Assembly that morning, Rep. Cho responded to a question about why he shook hands with President Lee by saying, “Even when the head of another country visits, everyone stands and shows respect.” He added, “Who should we show respect to as the head of state of our country? I was showing respect to the President.”
Rep. Cho remained in his seat alone that day while lawmakers from the People Power Party walked out en masse after President Lee’s speech concluded. Rep. Cho later shook hands with President Lee as he was shaking hands with other lawmakers one by one.
Rep. Cho emphasized that showing respect to the head of state is a basic duty that must be upheld regardless of political differences. He stated, “The government’s budget address takes place only once a year. This is not just a gathering for politicians; the entire public is watching,” adding, “Even if politicians argue among themselves, maintaining a respectful demeanor toward President Lee will be beneficial for the public’s morale, especially that of young people.”
Rep. Cho has previously drawn attention for showing respect to the president in accordance with his convictions, even as a member of the opposition party.
In 2013, during former President Park Geun-hye’s policy address to the National Assembly, he was the only lawmaker from the Democratic Party—his party at the time—to stand and pay his respects. Even then, Rep. Cho stated, “President Park is the head of state. Showing respect to the head of state is a matter of common sense and duty.” Two years later, at the same event, Rep. Cho remained standing longer than anyone else, staying on his feet until the moment former President Park left the plenary hall.
Meanwhile, when asked for his overall assessment of the government’s budget proposal that day, Rep. Cho expressed his hope that the ruling and opposition parties could narrow their differences through consensus. “As we review the budget proposal, the ruling and opposition parties will work to bridge their differences,” he said, adding, “Didn’t President Lee also indicate that he would listen to the opposition’s views?”
Regarding the People Power Party’s argument that surplus funds from the Future Response Fund—amounting to approximately 104 trillion won—should be prioritized for repaying national debt, he expressed the view that, given the expansion of the national economy, there is room to apply different criteria than in the past. He said, “The scale of our country’s economy is distinctly different from before. Our economic capacity has changed,” he said. “While the opposition is currently calling for the repayment of government bonds and other debts, prioritizing debt repayment, economic experts seem to believe that, given our current level of economic growth, we have the capacity to handle that amount.”
He continued, “Just as the level of debt varies depending on the size of a company—whether it’s a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) or a large corporation—I believe that, given the expansion and growth of our national economy, we should apply the standards of large corporations rather than those of SMEs.”