[Why&Next] Why Chinmyeong Summarized as 'Choo Mi-ae Speaker of the National Assembly'

The Balance of the First Half of the National Assembly Speaker Election Tips Toward Choo Mi-ae
Interpretations on Relationship with Lee Jae-myung, Presidential Ambitions, and Respect for Precedent
Election to Be Held on the 16th as a Two-Way Contest Between Choo Mi-ae and Woo Won-shik

The fiercely contested election for the next Speaker of the National Assembly within the Democratic Party of Korea has rapidly tilted in favor of the elected candidate, Chu Mi-ae. Jo Jung-sik, a lawmaker known to be part of the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, has unified with Chu, and lawmaker Jung Sung-ho has declared he will not run. The upcoming primary on the 16th is expected to be a head-to-head contest between lawmaker Woo Won-shik and Chu.

Choo Mi-ae, the elected member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding a press conference for her candidacy for the Speaker of the National Assembly at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 8th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Behind the withdrawal of candidates Jo and Jung the previous day, it appears there was a coordination effort within the pro-Lee faction. Chu appeared on a YouTube channel that day and did not deny but rather officially acknowledged the public speculation. She said, "I have met with Representative Lee Jae-myung several times before," and introduced, "Representative Lee said, 'Let's proceed naturally,' 'There are many concerns due to the overheating,' and 'I hope you do well.'" She added, "He said this only to me and did not say this to other candidates."

The Democratic Party, which won a commanding 173 seats in this general election, selects its candidate for Speaker through an internal party primary, and only the winner runs for the next Speaker of the National Assembly. For this reason, the Democratic Party primary effectively determines the Speaker.

According to political circles, the coordination in favor of Chu seems to have been influenced primarily by parliamentary customs (the eldest among the longest-serving members). Chu, who will be a six-term lawmaker at age 66 in the next National Assembly, is older than Jo, who has the same number of terms. It is also notable that there is strong public opinion among Democratic Party members that Chu should be the candidate. Jo Seung-hyun, Senior Standing Vice Chairman of the Democratic Party's National Communication Committee, said on BBS Radio, "I believe this is a process of trusting the collective intelligence of party members and following it."

Personally, Chu is known to have had a close relationship with Representative Lee since Lee was the mayor of Seongnam. Lee reportedly calls Chu "noona" (older sister) in private, and after the general election, when they met, he said, "You have helped me a lot so far, and this time I will repay you," according to reports.

If Chu becomes Speaker, it is expected that Representative Lee will take a more flexible stance on livelihood issues and be able to adjust the pace accordingly. There is also speculation that having a strong-willed, Yeongnam-born 'Speaker Chu Mi-ae' could be advantageous in relation to the presidential race.

However, inside and outside the party, there are concerns about the trend of settling the Speaker position through coordination, following the arrangement of the floor leader. Elected lawmaker Park Ji-won said on BBS Radio, "The party should not proceed unilaterally," and "It is not desirable for the party's or Representative Lee's faction to make arrangements on behalf of the people." Perhaps because of this, the pro-Lee faction coordination theory is seen as burdensome within the Democratic Party. Democratic Party spokesperson Han Min-soo said on KBS Radio, "The decision is made by the individuals themselves."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is greeting Representative Chu Mi-ae at the 1st floor leader election winners' meeting of the 22nd National Assembly Democratic Party of Korea held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 3rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Political circles analyze that if Chu, who advocates for a reformist National Assembly, becomes Speaker, cooperation or negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties may become difficult, and conflicts between the parties could intensify. The ruling party cautiously hopes that the 'opposition party judgment theory' may reignite ahead of the next local elections.