Choo Kyung-ho: "Will Filibuster If Special Prosecutor Bill Is Submitted During Government Questioning Plenary Session"

Choo Kyung-ho "Will the practice of not submitting bills during government questioning be broken?"
If more than three-fifths of total members agree, filibuster also ends
Ruling party, in the end, only the president's veto power to rely on

The People Power Party announced on the 2nd that it plans to respond with unlimited debate (filibuster) if the 'Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act' is brought up as an agenda item during the plenary session held for the government questioning.

Choo Kyung-ho, the floor leader of the People Power Party, told reporters after the party's strategy meeting, "Basically, no agenda items are proposed during the government questioning," adding, "This is a precedent from the 20th and 21st National Assemblies and a kind of principle that has been upheld for a long time." He continued, "Government questioning will be held for three days starting today, and proposing agenda items during this time is an attempt by the ruling and opposition parties, without mutual agreement, to forcibly pass bills with the Speaker of the National Assembly siding with the Democratic Party's wishes," stating that they will proceed with a filibuster.

Chu Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Democratic Party is known to plan to pass the 'Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act,' the 'Broadcasting Four Acts,' and the impeachment motion against Kim Hong-il, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, taking advantage of the government questioning. Government questioning is a session during the plenary meeting of the National Assembly where questions are posed to the government (each minister) on political, diplomatic, economic, educational, and social issues, and typically, bills are not processed during this time. However, the Democratic Party intends to forcibly propose the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act. As a minority opposition party, the People Power Party sees filibustering as the last resort to block the passage of the bill. However, even filibusters can be forcibly ended if at least three-fifths (180 members) of the total members of the National Assembly vote in favor, according to the National Assembly Act. Currently, the opposition bloc holds 192 seats. If the Special Prosecutor Act and others pass the plenary session, the People Power Party will have no choice but to rely again on the president's right to request reconsideration (veto power).

Choo Kyung-ho, who resigned taking responsibility for the failure to organize the National Assembly but later returned, declared a tough stance against the Democratic Party at the meeting. Choo said, "I hope the Democratic Party does not disrupt the National Assembly, which was normalized with difficulty, by unilaterally forcing the passage of bills without agreement on the schedule," adding, "They should show responsibility befitting the majority party rather than relying solely on power. Let's stop political strife and save the unfinished business."