[Summary] "Even if split in two, I will attend the plenary session" vs "An Intimidating Attitude" Final Conflict Between Ruling and Opposition Parties Over National Assembly Opening

Kim Tae-nyeon "United Party, Attend the Plenary Session Unconditionally"
Joo Ho-young "Democratic Party's Unilateral Election of the Chairmanship Will Be a Day to Be Rejected by the People"

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly on the 4th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties over the opening of the 21st National Assembly and the negotiation of its organization is intensifying. The Democratic Party of Korea reiterated its determination to open the plenary session, saying, "Even if the sky splits in two, we will definitely hold the plenary session," while the United Future Party criticized this as a 'negotiation attitude close to intimidation' and expressed opposition to convening the first extraordinary session of the National Assembly. However, the ruling party has stated that if negotiations with the opposition fail, it will push for a unilateral opening.

Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the policy coordination meeting on the 4th, "No obstacle will be able to stop progress toward the new National Assembly," adding, "The Democratic Party will take tomorrow's plenary session as the first step toward a working National Assembly."

Kim emphasized, "Creating a working National Assembly is the people's top mandate for the 21st National Assembly," and added, "We must create a working National Assembly to protect the lives of the people and overcome the national crisis."

He said, "The National Assembly has been at a standstill for a long time due to past practices, and laws have been ignored in the name of cooperation," and added, "The opposition still clings to the wrong past practices as if they were sacred, but the people are ordering us to reform these wrong practices and fundamentally change the National Assembly."

He continued, "If the opposition respects the public sentiment from the general election, it is only right to join the working National Assembly even now," and urged, "We hope the United Future Party will attend tomorrow's plenary session unconditionally."

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, is speaking at the party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 4th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In response to these remarks, the United Future Party criticized them as "a negotiation attitude close to intimidation."

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, pointed out at the party's emergency committee meeting on the same day, "If the Democratic Party unilaterally elects the chairperson and committee chairs on the 5th without agreement with our party, I am confident it will be the first day they are abandoned by the people."

He added, "The opening negotiations are at a standstill with both parties stating their positions, and although the National Assembly Act instructs the election of the chairperson on the 5th as a guideline, they are pressuring the presiding officer to enforce it as a mandatory rule and are recklessly pushing forward."

He claimed, "If the Democratic Party agrees to elect the chairperson, they negotiate the distribution of committee chairs, but if cooperation is refused, they say they will take all 18 committee chairs," and argued, "To take all 18 committee chairs, the elected chairperson would have to forcibly assign committees even to our party members, an unprecedented outrage in the constitutional history."

Joo said, "The Democratic Party's unilateral operation of the National Assembly undermines the separation of powers, damages state affairs, and is the worst hasty tyrannical dictatorship that divides public opinion," and urged, "They should reflect on the precedents the National Assembly has followed and the claims they made when they were the opposition, and strongly urge smooth opening through consultation with the United Future Party."

Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, is speaking at the Executive Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 4th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the Justice Party pressured the United Future Party to open the National Assembly within the legal deadline while requesting cooperation from the Democratic Party.

Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, said at the executive committee meeting that day, "This time, we must not exceed the legal deadline for opening the National Assembly due to factional confrontation."

She criticized the United Future Party, saying, "If the habitual boycott revealed in the 20th National Assembly is repeated in the 21st National Assembly, the United Future Party's existence could be reduced to a chronic nuisance to the people."

Sim also pointed out to the Democratic Party, "As a supermajority party with 177 seats, you must willingly bear the responsibility of cooperative politics," and criticized, "Recent remarks about monopolizing standing committees and pushing for opening without the opposition may be a strategy for opening the National Assembly, but the ruling party, which should lead efforts to overcome the COVID-19 livelihood crisis, is giving an excuse for confrontational politics."

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