Opposition Secures 11 Standing Committee Chairs... Presidential Office Says "Grounds for Veto Power Strengthened"

The Democratic Party of Korea securing the chairmanships of 11 standing committees, including the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, prompted the Presidential Office to state that if the opposition party insists solely on showing strength, it will only strengthen the justification for the president's right to request reconsideration (veto power).

A senior official from the Presidential Office explained on the 11th, "If the Democratic Party of Korea ignores the essence of parliamentary democracy?dialogue and compromise?and insists on operating the National Assembly solely by showing strength, the justification for the president's exercise of the reconsideration right will become even stronger."

The Democratic Party held a plenary session the previous day and unilaterally submitted and passed 11 agenda items for standing committee chair appointments without the participation of People Power Party members. As a result, the Democratic Party monopolized all committees, including the Steering Committee, which oversees the Presidential Office, and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which functions as the upper house.

A Presidential Office official pointed out, "The convention and tradition of the National Assembly, which the ruling and opposition parties have painstakingly established through dialogue and compromise, is widely regarded as a value that should be preserved even more carefully than the National Assembly Act in some respects."

Breaking the convention where the ruling party holds the Speaker position and the second-largest party holds the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is seen as the large opposition party’s intention to operate the National Assembly unilaterally.

In particular, there are strong voices within the Presidential Office criticizing the Democratic Party for taking the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Another Presidential Office official said, "The Democratic Party taking the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is an even worse action," adding, "It is ignoring the people."

The day before, People Power Party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho proposed a compromise plan where the ruling party would take the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and the Democratic Party would take the chairmanships of the Steering Committee and the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, but Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae reportedly rejected it.

Since the Democratic Party took control of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, it is expected to accelerate the handling of sensitive bills such as the 'Special Prosecutor Act for Chae Sang-byeong' and the 'Broadcasting Three Acts.' President Yoon Suk-yeol is likely to exercise his veto power on these bills, which passed the National Assembly solely by the opposition party in the 22nd National Assembly.

The day before, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik told Presidential Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok, who visited to congratulate his inauguration, "The president should be more cautious in using the veto power," but Chief of Staff Jeong responded, "The ruling and opposition parties need to put their heads together more and engage in dialogue and compromise until the bills pass the plenary session."