'Two Parliaments'... National Assembly Divided into Opposition Standing Committees and Ruling Party Special Committees

Opposition Holds Full Judiciary Committee Meeting to Appoint Whip
Ruling Party Holds Special Committees in Succession to Address Current Issues

The National Assembly has been divided into a standing committee system split between the People Power Party's special committee and the opposition led by the Democratic Party of Korea. The opposition, which has solely formed 11 standing committees including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, is determined to review bills even without the ruling party. The People Power Party, emphasizing its status as the ruling party, is showing a 'sit-in' stance by receiving briefings on current issues from the government through its internal special committees. If no compromise is reached during negotiations over the seven standing committees whose chairs have not yet been decided, the possibility of a 'two-parliament' system continuing has increased.

On the 11th, the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee's plenary meeting was held at the National Assembly without the participation of ruling party members. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

According to the National Assembly, on the 12th, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held its first plenary meeting to appoint a secretary and plans to submit the 'Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor for the Investigation of Obstruction and Concealment of the Death of a Marine,' known as the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act. Although the bill subcommittee, where substantive bill reviews should take place, has not been formed, the committee plans to forcibly form the subcommittee and begin review by utilizing the authority of Jeong Cheong-rae, the Democratic Party chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

The day before, the Science, Technology, Information and Communications Committee also held a plenary meeting solely by the opposition and appointed Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Hyun as the Democratic Party secretary. Kim Yong-min, the Democratic Party's deputy floor leader for policy, said on SBS Radio, "There are legislative and current issue hearing systems under the National Assembly Act, and if these systems are used to operate the standing committees, the People Power Party will eventually have to join." He indicated that they intend to pressure government officials to attend standing committee meetings by holding hearings that can compel attendance.

The People Power Party's Disaster Safety Special Committee is holding a meeting on the 12th.

In response, the People Power Party is holding internal special committees to counter. On the same day, the party held the 'Disaster Safety Special Committee Party-Government Meeting,' 'Labor Special Committee,' 'Education Reform Special Committee Party-Government Meeting,' and 'Foreign Affairs and Security Special Committee' consecutively. The Disaster Safety Special Committee was scheduled to discuss North Korea's waste dispersal and summer safety measures, but instead received briefings on the earthquake that occurred in Buan, Jeonbuk. The People Power Party plans to hold daily party meetings for the time being to condemn the opposition's unilateral actions.

Interestingly, the Ministry of Economy and Finance's work briefing was conducted at the People Power Party's parliamentary meeting that day. However, skepticism grew about such informal parliamentary activities when the party does not even have the authority to review bills. Jang Dong-hyuk, the People Power Party's chief floor spokesperson, conveyed the unsettled atmosphere within the party, saying, "Some lawmakers may have different opinions on whether holding daily party meetings is meaningful."

The formation of the seven standing committees without appointed chairs remains a future issue. The Democratic Party initially set a deadline of the 13th. If the People Power Party does not respond, the Democratic Party intends to fill all the chairs with its members. In this regard, there are also speculations in political circles that the negotiation deadline could be extended to early next week.