South Korea’s ruling party continued to urge the opposition to end its parliamentary boycott Tuesday, as public criticism intensified over legislators’ failure to carry out their basic duties.

The criticism is mostly being directed against the opposition.

But this could be both a blessing and a curse for the conservative ruling Saenuri Party, experts said.

“The ruling party is likely to discontinue party reforms, and other efforts,” said Jeong Jin-min, professor of political science at Myongji University. “The conservatives have little incentive to reform when their opponent is suffering from that much criticism.”

“A truly admirable political party comes about when there is a formidable competitor,” Choi Young-jin, professor of Korean politics at Chung-ang University said.

The boycott of the National Assembly by the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy party has provoked public criticism, as lawmakers have failed to review thousands of draft bills while prescheduled annual audits of government offices have been indefinitely postponed.

The NPAD has vowed not to end its boycott until the ruling party agrees to pass the special Sewol bill, which aims to set up an investigation into the government’s botched rescue operations in the April Sewol tragedy.

The governing party has been urging the NPAD to return to the parliament to urgently pass some 90 draft bills which have already been reviewed by both parties. Ruling party lawmakers are now contemplating holding a parliamentary session unilaterally to pass those bills. The Saenuri Party holds a parliamentary majority.

But Saenuri officials could also be exploiting the situation, professor Choi said, to paint the NPAD as the sole culprit of the current political deadlock.

“Saenuri officials could be refraining from unilaterally passing the already-reviewed bills because by doing this, they make it look like the NPAD boycott is causing more problems.”

A Saenuri lawmaker hinted that the ruling party will continue to hold committee meetings at the National Assembly, as television cameras show the NPAD lawmakers’ empty seats to a nationwide audience.

Discord within the NPAD, however, is expected to prolong the main opposition’s boycott.

The party’s interim chief, Rep. Park Young-sun, could step down from her post and possibly even leave the party, after several NPAD hard-liners demanded the three-term lawmaker resign. With Park playing the role of chief negotiator in the talks with the governing party over the special Sewol bill, efforts to negotiate a breakthrough have ground to a halt.

By Jeong Hunny (hj257@heraldcorp.com)