Postponement of National Assembly Standing Committee Chair Election... Park Byeong-seok Urges Ruling and Opposition Parties to Reach Agreement (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyemin and Jeon Jinyoung] The scheduled election of the standing committee chairpersons in the National Assembly on the 12th was postponed through the mediation of National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok. Speaker Park urged for a bipartisan agreement, stating, "I will give you three more days."

On the 12th at 2 p.m., Speaker Park convened a plenary session and said, "As the Speaker, I urge a final agreement."

Originally, the Democratic Party of Korea planned to elect the standing committee chairpersons during this plenary session. The session was quorate with Democratic Party members present. Members of the United Future Party protested the unilateral operation of the plenary session by not attending, and Kim Seong-won, the party’s senior deputy floor leader, expressed opposition through a procedural speech before leaving.

Although the agenda for the standing committee chairpersons’ nomination and vote was expected to be raised, Speaker Park called once more for bipartisan agreement and then adjourned the session.

Speaker Park said, "I apologize to the public for not being able to finalize the organization of the National Assembly today," adding, "Under my chairmanship, the leaders of both parties have met several times and negotiated, reaching considerable consensus and expecting a resolution, but a final agreement was not reached."

He urged again for bipartisan agreement, saying, "As the Speaker, I will give three days to urge a final agreement," and added, "The 20th National Assembly organized its committees on June 13, but the 21st National Assembly is delayed even amid a national crisis." He also appealed, "I urge both parties to keep in their hearts the voices of those who have lost their jobs and those struggling to make a living."

However, he stated that he would not wait any longer and granted three days. Speaker Park emphasized, "On the 15th next week, we will hold a plenary session and definitely handle the election of the standing committee chairpersons," and urged, "I ask the leaders of the negotiating groups to show decisiveness and leadership."

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