Choo Kyung-ho: "If you desire the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, give me the Speaker position... That is the natural order"

First Lady Kim Jung-sook says "No discussions have taken place" regarding the special prosecutor law

Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, emphasized once again at the party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 3rd that he has no intention of stepping back from the negotiation over the organization of the National Assembly, saying, "If you really want the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, then give me the position of the Speaker of the National Assembly. That is the natural order."

Chu Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Floor leader Choo said, "The Democratic Party of Korea is not backing down one bit from their stance that they must take the chairmanships of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Steering Committee, and the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee." He added, "(The Democratic Party claims) that the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is to swiftly, accurately, and surely handle the special investigation law for Kim Sang-byeong, their top legislative bill; the chairmanship of the Steering Committee is because the Kim Sang-byeong case involves the Presidential Office; and the chairmanship of the Science and Broadcasting Committee is to check the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's suppression of press freedom," emphasizing, "They are dragging the National Assembly into political strife everywhere, obstructing state affairs, and ultimately, it only looks like their intention is to 'grab this opportunity to tarnish the president and put him on the impeachment train,' as they have said 18 times."

He continued, "The Democratic Party is even using the power of majority to pressure taking all 18 standing committees. I am truly appalled," and said, "Insisting only on their own claims and saying there is no room for further negotiation is practically a declaration of parliamentary dictatorship."

Floor leader Choo appealed again to the Democratic Party, saying, "I hope they will engage in the negotiation over the organization of the National Assembly based on the grand principle of 'cooperation and agreement for checks and balances between the ruling and opposition parties.'" He added, "If the ruling party takes the Speaker position, the second party takes the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and the ruling party holds the Steering Committee, which is a precedent that has never been broken since the democratization in 1987." He then appealed, "I hope the People Power Party members widely inform the public of the Democratic Party's arrogance and collectively find ways to crush the Democratic Party's attempt at parliamentary dictatorship."

After the party meeting, Floor leader Choo told reporters that regarding the special investigation law for First Lady Kim Jung-sook proposed within the party, "We did not discuss that issue at today's party meeting."