Joo Ho-young: "Taking All Standing Committee Chairpersons? The Ruling Party Wants to Overturn the National Assembly"

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, is attending the National Organization Chairpersons' Meeting held at the National Assembly on the 27th and delivering a greeting./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] On the 27th, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, strongly opposed the statement by Yoon Ho-jung, Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Korea, who said, "We will take all the standing committee chair positions," calling it "an attempt to overturn the National Assembly."

Joo, speaking to reporters that day, said, "If you are going to take all the standing committee chair positions, then take all the members as well. Please consider what this means," expressing his stance.

He added, "Even back in 1990, when the ruling party had 215 seats after the three-party merger, standing committee chairs were shared with the opposition. The convention of dividing them according to the current seat ratio was strongly demanded by the ruling party when it was in the opposition," criticizing, "You might as well say let's abolish the National Assembly."

Joo said, "The National Assembly's main role under the Constitution is legislation and to check the judiciary and executive branches, but unlike advanced countries' parties, even if they belong to the same party, there is no culture of criticism and opposition," and added, "They are united under all party policies to support their own president, which effectively means there is no National Assembly."

Regarding the ruling party's demand for the chairmanships of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, he said, "When the ruling party holds the Speaker position, the opposition takes the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee as a form of check and balance, which has been a rule for 30 years," and opposed, "When we were the ruling party, we strongly opposed taking all the seats. Do they think they can do the same just because they took the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair?"

Joo emphasized, "The National Assembly must be allowed to function properly. If they want to push through by force, let them try," and criticized, "This will be recorded in history as one-party dictatorship and constitutional destruction."

Earlier, Yoon Ho-jung, Secretary General, said, "It is in line with democratic principles for the Democratic Party, which holds an absolute majority of seats, to take all the standing committee chair positions and responsibly operate the National Assembly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.