The rival parties on Friday slammed each other for impeding parliamentary operations as the main opposition Democratic Party continued its street protest, which the ruling Saenuri Party defined as a “denial of election outcome.”

The two sides further clashed over some Saenuri Party lawmakers’ visit to Seoul Metropolitan Office to condemn the latest safety accidents, which the DP denounced as a ploy to overshadow their protest. 

The parties’ leadership, meanwhile, continued their behind-closed-doors negotiation to normalize the National Assembly, mindful of the worsening public antipathy toward their political point-scoring.

The DP took the battle to the streets Thursday to pile pressure on the ruling party over the parliamentary investigation into the National Intelligence Service’s alleged political interference in the December presidential election.

The two parties have butted heads over the list of witnesses for the investigation slated to end on Aug. 15.

The Saenuri Party denounced the DP for attempting to downplay a separate investigation into the missing transcript of the 2007 inter-Korean summit, another heated political controversy this summer.

“(The DP’s protest) is an absurd attempt to cover up a crime using its power as the major opposition party, just for the sake of pandering to a specific faction,” said Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, deputy vice floor leader.

He was referring to the faction loyal to former President Roh Moo-hyun that met backlash last month after the parties failed to find the transcript in question from the presidential archives.

While maintaining that dialogue and compromise were still options, Yoon said that “the DP needs no justification to return to (the parliament) from their outdoor protest. They must realize politics is not (about) candlelight vigils but public livelihoods.”

The DP directed the blame toward the ruling camp.

“The Saenuri Party has ridiculed not only the DP’s efforts but the history of the Assembly, the people and democracy, to shed light on the violation of the constitutional government,” said DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil, referring to the NIS case.

The DP continued to hold party meetings at its makeshift headquarters in Seoul Plaza.

The party is also expected to hold a rally on Saturday separately from a candlelight vigil organized by an emergency council of civic groups.

The DP, burdened by the possibility that the conflict will escalate into one between the opposition and the legitimacy of the Park Geun-hye administration, reportedly decided to leave it up to individual members to take part in the vigil.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)