Ruling and Opposition Parties Resume 'Standing Committee Tensions' Talks...Democratic Party Signals Push for Plenary Session

Ruling and Opposition Parties Resume Talks on Standing Committee Allocation and Plenary Session Schedule
Democratic Party: "We Cannot Wait Indefinitely for the Supplementary Budget"

The ruling and opposition parties will resume discussions on June 23 regarding the allocation of key standing committee chair positions and the schedule for the plenary session. As both parties remain at an impasse over the chairmanships of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, as well as the handling of the supplementary budget, attention is focused on whether they can find a breakthrough in the negotiations.

According to political sources, Moon Jinseok, Senior Deputy Floor Leader for the Democratic Party, and Yoo Sangbum, Senior Deputy Floor Leader for the People Power Party, are scheduled to meet today to revisit discussions on the plenary session schedule and the allocation of standing committee chair positions.

Yonhap News Agency

Previously, the two parties’ senior deputy floor leaders held talks for about one hour and twenty minutes on June 19, but failed to narrow their differences. The Democratic Party maintains that, as agreed at the launch of the 22nd National Assembly, the chair positions for four standing committees?including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts?should be allocated accordingly. However, the People Power Party insists that, since the ruling and opposition parties have switched places, the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee should be handed over to the opposition in line with established practice.

Furthermore, at a luncheon meeting the previous day between President Lee Jaemyung and the floor leadership of both parties, there was no significant progress on pending issues. Song Eonseok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, urged President Lee at the meeting to assign the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to the opposition as the first step toward restoring political order, but President Lee reportedly dismissed the request, stating that "this is a matter that requires agreement between the ruling and opposition parties." The ruling party also reiterated, "The selection of standing committee chairs is a matter for the National Assembly, not the President," and emphasized, "As we have stated several times, the composition of the Assembly was agreed upon in 2024, so this is not an issue for discussion now."

The Democratic Party has indicated its intention to convene a plenary session on its own, if necessary, to process the supplementary budget bill during the June extraordinary session if no agreement is reached. After the party’s Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly, Democratic Party spokesperson Han Minsu told reporters that, in response to a question about whether the party is considering convening a plenary session alone before the June extraordinary session ends on July 4, "Before the end of the June extraordinary session, all matters including the supplementary budget bill must be passed and sent to the government for prompt execution."

He further stated, "If all issues are politicized or if actions that hinder the new government continue, there are supplementary budgets, policies, and legislation that must be executed swiftly for the people, and we cannot wait indefinitely."