Wearing Diapers and Singing... Looking Back at Past Filibuster Cases [News SeolCham]

(30) Filibuster Revival Since 2016 Brings Unusual Scenes
Democrat Choi Min-hee Gains Attention for Reading Constitution and Novels
Lawmakers Wearing Diapers Due to Past Ban Practices

Editor's Note'Seolcham' is a newly coined term meaning to refer to explanations for more detailed information. In [News Seolcham], we aim to pinpoint parts of the news that require fact-checking or further explanation and provide more detailed descriptions.

Two months after the opening of the 22nd National Assembly, the third filibuster (unlimited debate) situation has unfolded, drawing attention to past filibuster cases. A filibuster is a legal obstruction of proceedings under Article 106-2 of the National Assembly Act. It involves obstructing the session or blocking votes through unlimited debate, mainly used by minority parties that find it difficult to pass bills due to insufficient seats.

Korea's first filibuster was in 1964, when former President Kim Dae-jung used it to block the arrest motion against Assemblyman Kim Jun-yeon. Later, in 1969, Assemblyman Park Han-sang of the New Democratic Party famously filibustered against the constitutional amendment for a third term. This system was effectively abolished in 1973 by imposing time limits on speeches but was reintroduced in 2012 along with the National Assembly Advancement Act. It gained significant attention in February 2016 when the then Democratic Party revived the filibuster after 47 years to oppose the Anti-Terrorism Act. During that period, from February 23 to March 2, 2016, a total of 39 lawmakers spoke for 192 hours and 25 minutes.

Since the 19th National Assembly, filibusters have been continuously attempted. The longest filibuster record within a four-year term was set during the 20th National Assembly (approximately 269 hours). Following the Saenuri Party's filibuster in September 2016 to delay the dismissal motion of Minister Kim Jae-soo of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Liberty Korea Party conducted two filibusters at the end of 2019 to oppose the semi-proportional representation system and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Act. The 21st National Assembly filibuster record stands at about 102 hours.

Several unique speeches have drawn attention during these filibusters. During the 2016 Democratic Party filibuster, Assemblyman Kang Ki-jung, the ninth speaker, concluded his speech in tears while singing the symbolic song "March for the Beloved," honoring the victims of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. He shared his experience of being prosecuted after physical altercations before the introduction of the National Assembly Advancement Act, expressing gratitude that "this place could be a venue for all-night debates rather than physical fights."

Another notable speech was by Democratic Party Assemblywoman Choi Min-hee, who read the Constitution starting with "The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic." While explaining her opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Act by referencing past cases such as illegal surveillance and espionage fabrication by the National Intelligence Service, Choi said, "I wanted to read the Constitution here before concluding the 19th National Assembly," and read Chapters 1 and 2 of the Constitution. At this time, she also read from George Orwell's novel "1984," which features the dictator Big Brother who monitors and controls individuals.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The issue of "whether leaving the podium was allowed" during speaking time also arose. In the past, speakers were not permitted to leave the podium, leading to cases where lawmakers wore adult diapers to remain on the stand. However, since December 2019, when Democratic Party Assemblyman Kim Jong-min was granted permission by the Speaker to use the restroom during his speech, the practice of prohibiting restroom use has disappeared.

Overseas, unusual scenes have also been observed during prolonged filibusters. Many countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada have filibuster systems. Particularly in the United States, it is permissible to continue speaking on topics unrelated to the matter at hand, leading to instances where lawmakers read phone books or recite the Bible to kill time. In 1935, Senator Huey Long famously spoke for 15 hours and 30 minutes while reading recipes for cheese salad dressing and discussing fried oyster cooking methods.