The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairperson Choi Hojung) held a plenary session on the 25th to process 102 agenda items, during which a conflict erupted as the chairperson's gavel was seized.
At the 330th extraordinary session, the second plenary meeting held on this day, collective disturbances and disruptions repeatedly occurred from the start to the end of the session, leading to an incident where the gavel was seized during a vote.
The "Consent for the Change of the 330th Session Agenda and Period," which was submitted this time, is a legitimate method for changing the session schedule in accordance with Article 16 of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Rules of Procedure. Interpellation is not a mandatory procedure for the session agenda, and changes to the agenda can be made at any time according to the prescribed procedures and methods.
The reason for changing the session agenda was that, during the 330th extraordinary session, most of the standing committee schedules were completed before the second plenary session on April 25, resulting in the majority of agenda items (102 items) being handled at the second plenary session. In addition, under the original schedule, May 1, Labor Day, would have effectively forced employees of Seoul's funded and sponsored institutions, public corporations and foundations, and council staff to work, which was considered unreasonable. Therefore, it was deemed necessary to change the session schedule and shorten the session period.
However, the Democratic Party of Korea claimed that the disruption in the council was a protest against the change in the session agenda.
In response, the People Power Party criticized that such collective and threatening behavior seriously infringed upon the council's voting rights and destroyed order in the chamber, and argued that it could not be justified under any circumstances.
The People Power Party pointed out that the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Code of Ethics stipulates that members should not disrupt council activities by being absent from meetings without a valid reason. The council's basic ordinance prohibits occupying the chairperson's seat in the chamber to maintain order. In addition, the council's rules of procedure prohibit speaking without the chairperson's permission.
The People Power Party in the Seoul Metropolitan Council strongly condemned what it called the Democratic Party of Korea's "council violence," which it said would go down in the history of the Seoul Metropolitan Council as a shocking event.
However, it appears that the Democratic Party of Korea protested in this manner because five-minute speeches were not permitted.
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