Speaker Woo: No Plenary Session Tomorrow... "Prime Minister Confirmation Vote by July 3 at the Latest"

Democrats Reject June 30 Plenary Session Request
Speaker Urges Bipartisan Agreement: "Expedite Negotiations"

Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, stated on the 29th, "The confirmation vote for the Prime Minister nominee must be held at the plenary session no later than this Thursday."

Speaker of the National Assembly and Ruling and Opposition Parties. Yonhap News Agency

On his Facebook page that day, Speaker Woo said, "I urge the ruling and opposition parties to expedite their negotiations for the recovery of people's livelihoods and the stabilization of state affairs."

This is interpreted as his intention not to convene the plenary session requested by the Democratic Party of Korea for June 30 to vote on the confirmation of Prime Minister nominee Kim Minseok, but instead to wait for an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties until July 3.

Speaker Woo said, "Today is the deadline for adopting the hearing report, but I have yet to hear any news about an agreement between the parties," and added, "I earnestly ask the ruling and opposition parties to come together with wisdom once again."

He emphasized, "The first Prime Minister of the previous administration was also confirmed through bipartisan agreement for the stabilization of the new government, and bipartisan consensus is necessary to overcome the crises we are facing. Even when there have been disagreements between the ruling and opposition parties at the launch of previous administrations, they have come together to confirm the Prime Minister for the same reason."

He continued, "The Prime Minister serves as the central pillar in coordinating state affairs and leading the administration. Any delay in the confirmation of the Prime Minister means a delay in the government's ability to fully mobilize its efforts," urging the parties to expedite the confirmation process.

Speaker Woo also called for a swift review of the supplementary budget bill, saying, "Please ensure a thorough review, but also accelerate negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties so that it can be processed quickly."

Initially, the Democratic Party had planned to hold a plenary session on June 30 to process the confirmation of nominee Kim. However, if the plenary session is not held on June 30, the Democratic Party's position is that the vote on Kim's confirmation must take place at a plenary session no later than July 3.