After Democratic Party Caucus, Meeting Set for 5:30 p.m. on the 31st
Ruling Party: "Plenary Session on April 3"... Opposition: "Four Consecutive Days Needed"
If Opposition Proposal Passes, Impeachment Vote on Choi Possible Right After Report
The floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties met twice in one day but failed to finalize the schedule for the National Assembly plenary session. They agreed to meet once more after the Democratic Party's caucus meeting, but with the tense standoff continuing, difficulties are still expected.
Speaker Woo Won-shik and the floor leaders of the two major parties are meeting at the National Assembly on the 31st. From the left, Park Hyung-soo, Senior Deputy Floor Leader of the People Power Party, Kwon Seong-dong, Floor Leader, Speaker Woo, Park Chan-dae, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Park Seong-jun, Senior Deputy Floor Leader. 2025.3.31 Photo by Kim Hyun-min
On the afternoon of the 31st at 4 p.m., Kwon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, and Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, met in the Speaker's office to discuss the plenary session schedule for the second time that day, but again failed to reach an agreement. Park Hyung-su, the senior deputy floor leader of the People Power Party, told reporters immediately after the meeting that when asked if any agreement had been reached, "No," adding that "since the Democratic Party was holding a caucus meeting, we agreed to meet again at 5:30 p.m."
Earlier, the National Assembly Steering Committee passed a motion led by the opposition parties to hold a plenary session on the 1st of next month, during the March extraordinary session on the 2nd and 3rd, and the April extraordinary session on the 4th, to conduct urgent questioning on pending issues.
During the morning meeting of the floor leaders presided over by Speaker Woo Won-sik, the Democratic Party conveyed this position to the Speaker's office. On the other hand, the People Power Party insisted on holding the plenary session on the last day of the March session, the 3rd of next month, and postponing the April extraordinary session.
The reason for the tense standoff over the plenary session schedule is that the plenary session to be held this time is scheduled to report the impeachment motion against Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, which was proposed by the five opposition parties. If the plenary sessions are held consecutively as the Democratic Party suggests, the impeachment motion against Deputy Prime Minister Choi could be voted on the day after it is reported.
Moreover, since the opposition parties have not appointed Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court Justice, there is also a possibility that they will propose another impeachment motion against Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, so having many plenary sessions scheduled toward the end of the session is not a good sign for the ruling party.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly Steering Committee passed a resolution urging the appointment of Ma Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court Justice, led by the opposition parties.
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