A special send-off

Park Young-sun, the interim leader and floor leader of the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), along with party leaders, sees off passengers on a KTX train who are on their way to visit their hometowns yesterday at Yongsan Station in Seoul. Before going to the station to promote NPAD’s policies, Rep. Park presided over a meeting with party leaders to discuss the special Sewol bill. “The places that President Park Geun-hye should visit before Chuseok are Cheongun-dong, in front of the Blue House, and Gwanghwamun [where the relatives of Sewol victims are staying],” she said. “The relatives of the Sewol victims will spend their saddest and the most lonely Chuseok at Paengmok Harbor, at Gwanghwamun or in front of the Blue House.” She also apologized for the delay in passing a myriad of economic and livelihood-related bills. The NPAD squarely declined the request from the ruling Saenuri Party to vote on those proposals first, separate from the special Sewol bill. “We clearly stated that we will not separate 90 economic and livelihood-related bills from the special Sewol bill when we vote on them,” said Kim Yung-rok, the chief deputy floor leader of the NPAD. Kim also urged President Park to take a bold concession on the special Sewol bill.[NEWS1]