Kim Ki-hyun: "The Opposition Should Not Sell Their Value in Exchange for Key Standing Committees"

Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the United Future Party, attended the United Future Party policy seminar held at the National Assembly on the 11th and was talking with Kim Seong-won, the floor leader's chief deputy representative, during the meeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] Kim Ki-hyun, a four-term member of the Future United Party, stated on the 14th regarding the organization of the National Assembly, "We must not sell out the opposition's value in exchange for a few committee chairmanships like crumbs," and insisted that the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee must be defended.

On the same day, Kim said through his Facebook, "Now, it is a priority to uphold the principles of parliamentary democracy beyond personal advancement and party interests."

This is interpreted as a backlash against the ruling party's negotiation proposal to offer other valuable standing committee chairmanships to the opposition except for the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. It also appears to be a rebuttal to Rep. Jang Je-won's suggestion to take the Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Venture Business Committee chairmanship in exchange for giving the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to the ruling party.

Kim emphasized, "The Future United Party's insistence on keeping the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is not a tactical claim to gain a few more valuable committees for practical benefits. The organization of the National Assembly has traditionally been based on the grand principle of bipartisan agreement. The Operations Committee chairmanship, which oversees the Blue House as an audited institution, has been held by the ruling party, while the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairmanship has been held by the opposition as a matter of check and balance and cooperation. This practice has firmly established itself as an unwritten law."

He recalled, "Even when the current ruling party was in opposition, former lawmakers No Young-min, Woo Won-shik, Park Young-sun, and even former lawmaker Park Ji-won argued that the opposition should hold the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairmanship based on such standards, and our party, which was the ruling party at the time, accepted that demand."

Kim said, "The responsibility for normalizing the National Assembly lies with the ruling party. If the ruling party relinquishes the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairmanship, the tangled negotiations over the organization will be easily resolved, and the National Assembly will be normalized immediately."

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