January 16, 2019. Excerpt from Opening Statement of the Party’s Supreme Council Meeting

“DPK Needs to Approach on the Party Level the Carpooling Taxi Service Issue, Which Will Be Discussed in Earnest This Week.”

    □ DPK Chairman Lee Hae-chan  

This week will be a turning point for the controversial issue of the proposed carpooling taxi service in Korea, since the issue will be thoroughly discussed. Fortunately, the taxi unions have already expressed their willingness to reenter talks, and Kakao Mobility has also announced it would temporarily halt a scheduled test run of its app-based carpool service and resume talks. The ride-sharing issue is a very challenging and complicated problem to solve. The issue is particularly difficult to address since conflicting interests are involved. Although lawmaker Jeon Hyun-heui is currently taking charge of the matter as the chief of our party’s task force, the carpooling taxi service issue needs to be approached on the party level. As such, the lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea as a unit should make concerted efforts to favorably solve the issue.  

Earlier this week, after due consideration, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party offered its recommendations for a committee tasked with investigating the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement. However, it is somewhat regrettable that the main opposition party has shortlisted individuals who rather than be accepted by the families of the victims in Gwangju, might infuriate those families instead. The 1980 pro-democracy movement is a historically significant issue in modern Korea that requires a thorough fact-finding investigation. In spite of such a fact, the Liberty Korea Party has apparently failed to appreciate the magnitude of the issue, which is both regrettable and shameful. The fact-finding committee will soon embark on its investigation, so it is recommendable for the main opposition party to follow a policy of not hampering the committee’s fact-finding activities.

"이번주 택시·카풀 문제 본격 논의…당 차원 관심 가져야"

 □ 이해찬 당대표 

  이번 주에는 택시 카풀 문제를 본격적으로 논의해야 할 중요한 상황이다 . 다행히 택시노조에서도 대화에 참여하겠다는 의사를 밝혔고 모빌리티 회사에서도 시범운행을 중단하고 대화를 하겠다는 의사를 밝혔다 . 굉장히 복잡하고 어려운 문제다 . 서로 이해관계가 상충하고 복잡한 문제이기는 하지만 이런 문제를 당에서 전현희 위원장이 책임자가 돼서 열심히 처리하고 있는데 당 차원에서도 모두다 관심을 갖고 이 문제가 잘 풀어질 수 있도록 노력을 같이 해야 한다 .  

한 가지 유감스러운 것은 자유한국당에서 5.18 진상조사위원을 어렵사리 추천하기는 했는데 광주시민들이 받아들일 수 있는 사람을 추천한 것이 아니고 오히려 반발할 사람들을 추천한 것이 대단히 안타깝다 . 광주민주화항쟁은 우리 현대사에서 진상규명을 안하고 넘어갈 수 없는 중대한 사안인데 자유한국당이 아직도 문제에 대한 인식을 제대로 하지 못하고 이렇게 된 것은 대단히 안타깝고 아쉽다는 지적을 안 할 수가 없다 . 이제 시작하겠지만 위원들이 활동할 때 진상규명을 하는 것이 아니고 진상규명을 방해하는 행동을 하지 않도록 각별히 자유한국당에서 기본 방침을 가져야 한다 .

더불어민주당 국제국