Woo Won-sik Elected as Speaker of the 22nd National Assembly... People Power Party Absent

Woo Won-sik "Government Must Respect National Assembly's Legislative Authority"
People Power Party Holds Protest Outside Plenary Hall
Bae Jun-young "First Plenary Session Forced Unilaterally by Democratic Party"

Woo Won-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, was elected as the Speaker of the 22nd National Assembly for the first half of the term. The People Power Party protested the opening of the plenary session without bipartisan agreement and did not participate in the vote. The vice speakers are elected with one from the ruling party and one from the opposition, but the election for the vice speaker from the ruling party, the People Power Party, was not held.

At the first plenary session of the 22nd National Assembly held on the afternoon of the 5th, the Speaker was elected. Woo, who received 189 votes out of 192 opposition lawmakers present, was chosen as the Speaker. In his acceptance speech after being elected, Woo indirectly criticized the president's veto power. He said, "Since democratization, the number of times the veto power has been exercised is the highest among all past administrations," adding, "If legislative power is not properly exercised in the 22nd National Assembly, the crisis of trust will deepen and the crisis of livelihood reforms will exceed the critical point."

Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, is giving an acceptance speech at the first plenary session of the 22nd National Assembly held at the National Assembly on the 5th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Regarding the schedule for organizing the National Assembly, Speaker Woo clearly stated the policy to "comply with the National Assembly Act." He said, "Even if opinions differ, we should follow the agreed standards," and added, "If a new agreement cannot be reached, we must follow the already established standards of the Constitution and the National Assembly Act." He continued, "Democracy is the right to debate and the obligation to accept," emphasizing, "We will support sufficient dialogue and debate, but even if there are disagreements, I ask for an attitude of acceptance of the established standards." Furthermore, he added, "I will firmly uphold this principle not only in the National Assembly's decision-making but also in relations with the executive branch."

Until Woo was elected that day, Choo Mi-ae, the most senior (six-term) and oldest (65 years old) member, presided over the plenary session. After being elected, Woo took over the chair and proceeded with the election of the vice speakers.

On the afternoon of the 5th, at the first plenary session of the 22nd National Assembly held at the National Assembly, Woo Won-sik, who was elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly, is shaking hands with Choo Mi-ae, who presided over the plenary session.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The People Power Party held a protest rally and did not attend the plenary session, claiming that the schedule was not agreed upon. Representative Choo Kyung-ho was the only member of the People Power Party to enter the plenary hall, stating, "The reason I am attending this session is to point out the problems of today's plenary session, not to recognize it," and added, "I deeply regret that the session could not be opened with bipartisan agreement as the floor leader of the ruling party." Except for Representative Choo, members of the People Power Party held a protest rally outside the plenary hall in the Rotunda Hall, displaying a banner that read, "No parliament without consultation, stop unilateral parliamentary actions."