"Patience Has Reached Its Limit"... Will the Ruling Party Dominate All 18 Standing Committees Today?

Democratic Party Plans to Pass 3rd Supplementary Budget After Standing Committee Formation
United Party Remains Firm Despite Ruling Party Pressure
Speaker Park Byeong-seok, Who Holds Authority to Convene Plenary Session, Faces Decision

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 26th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The Democratic Party of Korea set a policy on the 26th to hold a plenary session and complete the election of standing committee chairpersons. If the United Future Party ultimately refuses to negotiate, the Democratic Party intends to push through the passage of the third supplementary budget bill by monopolizing all 18 standing committee chair positions. However, there is also a possibility that Speaker Park Byeong-seok may prioritize electing only the Chairperson of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts as a 'one-point' election based on bipartisan agreement.

Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the morning Supreme Council meeting, "The Democratic Party has fully accepted the demands of the United Future Party to create a working National Assembly and has waited beyond the limits of patience," adding, "If the United Future Party does not submit the list of standing committee members today, it will be considered as abandoning the rights and duties of a lawmaker, and as the responsible ruling party, we will act decisively." He expressed the intention to complete the organization of the National Assembly even if the Democratic Party has to do it alone due to the United Future Party's uncooperative stance.

Kim continued, "We have already asked the Speaker to elect all remaining standing committee chairpersons and complete the formation of all 18 standing committees. We can no longer ignore the suffering of the people," urging, "We request the United Future Party to submit the list of standing committee members by noon today (26th)."

However, the United Future Party had not submitted the list of standing committee members by the morning of the same day. They plan not to respond to any parliamentary schedules, including submitting the list of standing committee members, unless the Chairpersonship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is returned to the opposition party. United Future Party floor leader Joo Ho-young stated the previous day, "From the beginning, it was said that the National Assembly could be freely operated without the United Future Party's seats, and 'your opinions will not be reflected,' so go ahead and try," expressing refusal to submit the list of standing committee members. He reaffirmed this stance to a media outlet on the same day, saying, "We will not move an inch from here."

Speaker Park Byeong-seok is undergoing a temperature check on the way to the National Assembly main building on the 26th. The Democratic Party officially requested Speaker Park to approve the 18 standing committee chairpersons during the plenary session of the National Assembly on the same day to process the supplementary budget bill. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

If the United Future Party ultimately refuses to submit the list of standing committee members, the Democratic Party intends to take all 18 standing committee chair positions. Within the Democratic Party, there is reportedly a consensus to first process the supplementary budget and then resign from the standing committee chair positions originally considered to belong to the opposition party, to facilitate subsequent negotiations.

There is a high possibility that the plenary session will be held on the day. Speaker Park, who holds the authority to convene the plenary session and propose the agenda for electing standing committee chairpersons, also believes that the organization of the National Assembly must be completed today for the swift processing of the supplementary budget.

However, there is also a possibility that Speaker Park may elect only the Chairperson of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts as a 'one-point' election due to political burdens and the essential need for budget review. Speaker Park plans to hold sequential meetings with the floor leaders of both parties on the day to make a final persuasion effort. When asked by reporters on his way to work about the direction of the organization, Speaker Park said, "I will consider various factors."

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