Woo Won-sik "Special Prosecutor Act to be handled after Chuseok"... Opposition "Speaker's personal judgment" backlash (Comprehensive)

Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-sik proposed postponing the passage of the special prosecutor bills concerning Kim Geon-hee and Chae Sang-byeong to the 19th, temporarily calming the unprecedented possibility of a Chuseok holiday filibuster (unlimited debate). Considering the rising inflation and the growing public anxiety over the medical crisis, Speaker Woo suggested minimizing conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties during the holiday period.

On the afternoon of the 11th, Speaker Woo held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, "Three contentious bills, including the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor bill, have been submitted to the plenary session," and added, "I ask both parties to agree to handle the special prosecutor bills and other bills submitted to the plenary session after the Chuseok holiday, on the 19th." He emphasized, "The soaring prices alone make holiday preparations worrisome, and the overlapping medical crisis adds to the public's anxiety. Resolving the legislative conflicts causing concerns over the medical crisis should be prioritized."

Earlier that morning, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, dominated by the opposition, unilaterally passed the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor bill and the Chae Sang-byeong special prosecutor bill, which recommends a third-party special prosecutor. The Democratic Party planned to secure public support by passing these two contentious bills, along with the nationwide 250,000 won support bill, through the plenary session on the 12th, just before Chuseok.

Speaker Woo Faces Burden of Unprecedented Chuseok Filibuster

Political circles analyzed that Speaker Woo's proposal to postpone the passage of contentious bills stemmed from considerable concern over ongoing conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties during the holiday period. Political commentator Park Sang-byeong said in a phone interview, "It seems Speaker Woo made an appropriate decision. If the ruling party actually initiates a filibuster after the special prosecutor bills are tabled, the public's dissatisfaction and fatigue will significantly increase." He added, "Considering that the Chuseok holiday is the last golden time to seek solutions to the medical crisis, Speaker Woo must have agonized over how the public would perceive the ruling party pushing to block the special prosecutor bills and the opposition forcing their passage."

In fact, if the special prosecutor bills are tabled in the plenary session the next day, the People Power Party will inevitably resort to a filibuster to block the bills. If the Democratic Party tables the three bills, including the Kim Geon-hee and Chae Sang-byeong special prosecutor bills, separately as they did with the recent 'Broadcasting 4 Laws,' the People Power Party will effectively have to engage in a filibuster throughout the Chuseok holiday. For example, if the bills are tabled on the 12th and the People Power Party immediately starts a filibuster, the Democratic Party can submit a 'motion to end unlimited debate,' which, if approved by at least three-fifths of the members present after 24 hours, can forcibly end the debate on the 13th. Continuing the plenary session in the same manner for the remaining two bills would extend the filibuster through the holiday period until the 15th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Opposition: "Regret Speaker Woo's Proposal... Strongly Request Tabled Bills"

On the other hand, the opposition, including the Democratic Party, strongly protested Speaker Woo's proposal. Immediately after Speaker Woo's remarks, opposition members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, including Chairperson Jeong Cheong-rae, Democratic Party lawmakers Jang Gyeong-tae and Lee Geon-tae, and Justice Innovation Party lawmaker Park Eun-jung, held a press conference stating, "We express regret over the Speaker's actions. We strongly request that the three bills passed today be tabled in the plenary session."

Chairperson Jeong said, "To prevent procedural defects, we had already prepared the agenda adjustment committee requested by the People Power Party and completed it according to procedure. In my experience working in the National Assembly, this is the first time a Speaker has refused to table a bill that has urgently passed through the agenda adjustment committee," raising his voice. He even said, "The Speaker is also a member of the National Assembly before being the Speaker. Deciding whether to table a bill that has passed the Judiciary Committee based on personal judgment seems excessive," revealing his discomfort.

Fellow party member Lee Geon-tae also said, "The three bills passed today are among our achievements, and I never expected they would be delayed without even reaching the plenary session," adding, "Our people will have hope in the National Assembly because of these laws, and if they do not reach the plenary session, they will be greatly disappointed." Opposition lawmakers on the Judiciary Committee even issued a veiled threat toward Speaker Woo, saying, "If the bills are blocked due to the Speaker's opposition, the responsibility will rest solely with the Speaker."

On the 26th, at the second public hearing on the national petition requesting the proposal of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol, held by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae is speaking. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

People Power Party Also Dissatisfied... "No Agreement on Agenda Handling at the 19th Plenary Session"

The People Power Party avoided a filibuster during the Chuseok holiday period but expressed discomfort over the possibility of the special prosecutor bills being tabled on the 19th.

Chu Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, told reporters after Speaker Woo's proposal, "It is regrettable to suddenly add a schedule for consultation," and said, "There was no prior agreement regarding the plenary session schedule on the 19th, so we will discuss and negotiate the agenda schedule with the Democratic Party."

He also expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "Our party's position is that the agenda schedule for September was agreed upon by both parties in the presence of the Speaker to be on the 26th, so I find it difficult to understand why an additional plenary session should be scheduled."

Floor leader Chu added, "The National Assembly is not the Democratic Party's party meeting room. The agenda schedule is ultimately determined through negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties, and the Speaker makes the final decision."

Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the People Power Party is speaking at the party floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 10th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@