Kwon Seong-dong on Negotiations for Assembly Organization: "Extremely Difficult"... Emphasizes 'Cooperation' to the Democratic Party

Remarks at the People Power Party Lawmakers' Meeting on the Morning of the 20th
Also Demanding the Democratic Party to Recommend Directors for the Bukhan In-gwon Jaedan

Kwon Seong-dong, Acting Party Leader of the People Power Party, is giving an opening remark at the party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 20th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Geum Bo-ryeong] The National Assembly convened a plenary session on the 20th to begin the second half of the parliamentary term, despite the ruling and opposition parties failing to agree on the organization of the committees. The People Power Party shifted the responsibility for the failure of the committee organization to the Democratic Party of Korea and demanded "cooperation."

Kwon Seong-dong, acting party leader and floor leader of the People Power Party, said in his opening remarks at the party meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, "Negotiations in the National Assembly are still facing difficulties," adding, "It was decided to conduct only the negotiation group representatives' speeches and government questioning, and to complete negotiations on the distribution of standing committee chairmanships by Thursday (21st), but there has been no change in the positions of either the Democratic Party or us."

The ruling and opposition parties continue to engage in a tug-of-war over the Administration and Security Committee and the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee. Acting leader Kwon explained, "The media reports that the Democratic Party has decided to give up the Administration and Security Committee, but such talk has not come up in meetings, so it is very difficult," adding, "I cannot say everything in public, but if one side gives up, the Democratic Party adds other conditions, making it very hard to reach an agreement."

The Democratic Party insists that the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee is necessary to protect broadcasting and press freedom, and the Administration and Security Committee is needed to secure the independence and neutrality of the police. In response, Acting leader Kwon said, "We have no intention or capability to control broadcasting. The Administration and Security Committee is the core of domestic affairs and has traditionally been held by the ruling party," adding, "The National Defense Committee and Intelligence Committee are also key pillars of security and traditionally held by the ruling party, and we are also taking the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, which is the basis of foreign affairs."

The People Power Party has presented a negotiation condition asking the Democratic Party to choose one between the Administration and Security Committee and the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee. Acting leader Kwon said, "Even though we have conceded that much, the Democratic Party keeps demanding both," adding, "I want to say first that this is why the negotiations have not been concluded." He thus shifted the responsibility for the failure of the committee organization to the Democratic Party.

Along with this, emphasizing "cooperation," he demanded that the Democratic Party recommend directors for the North Korean Human Rights Foundation. Acting leader Kwon said, "The Democratic Party should cooperate in uncovering the truth about forced repatriation and align with the appointment of directors to the North Korean Human Rights Foundation." The North Korean Human Rights Foundation was established to investigate the human rights situation in North Korea and provide humanitarian aid to North Korea, but its launch has been delayed because the Democratic Party did not recommend directors during the Moon Jae-in administration. The Yoon Seok-yeol administration appointed Professor Lee Shin-hwa of Korea University's Department of Political Science and Diplomacy as the North Korean Human Rights Ambassador at the Cabinet meeting the day before.

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