Democratic Science and ICT Committee and People Power Party Public Administration Committee... Agreement on '6.8 Billion Won' Committee Formation

Negotiations on Assembly Organization Between Ruling and Opposition Parties Settled After 54 Days
Key Issue Resolved: 'Science and ICT Committee and Public Administration Committee' to Alternate Annually

Even Lawmakers from Both Sides Say the Talks Dragged On So Long They Considered Voluntary Salary Returns
If Salaries Are Returned, Total Amount Estimated at About 6.84238 Billion Won

[Asia Economy Reporters Juyoun Oh, Juni Park, Hyunji Kwon] The negotiation for the second half of the National Assembly's organizational structure has finally been settled. It took 54 days since the first half of the National Assembly's term ended on May 30. The key contentious committees, the Administration and Security Committee and the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, will be chaired alternately by the ruling and opposition parties for one year each. The ruling and opposition parties, having concluded the organizational structure negotiation on the morning of the day, plan to immediately hold a plenary session in the afternoon to finalize the election of standing committee chairpersons.

Although the organizational structure agreement was barely reached, voices of "regret" emerged among lawmakers from both parties over the two-month legislative vacuum caused by the negotiation. This reflects public criticism over the failure to form standing committees to handle bills amid a complex economic crisis. Some proposed that lawmakers return their salaries, which, calculated by the number of days the organizational structure negotiation was delayed, amounts to a total of 6.8 billion KRW.

Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo (center), Acting Leader of the People Power Party Kwon Seong-dong, and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party Park Hong-geun are revealing the agreement on the organization of the second half of the 21st National Assembly during a meeting of floor leaders from both parties, held in the Speaker's office on the 22nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the 22nd, under the chairmanship of National Assembly Speaker Jinpyo Kim, the floor leaders and deputy floor leaders of both parties met at the National Assembly in the morning for a 2-on-2 meeting and announced an agreement on the organizational structure negotiation for the second half of the 21st National Assembly based on these terms.

According to the agreement, the Democratic Party will take chairmanship of 11 standing committees including the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, the Political Affairs Committee, and the Education Committee, while the People Power Party will take 7 standing committees including the contentious Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Steering Committee, and the Planning and Finance Committee.

The standing committees that had been in a deadlock, the Administration and Security Committee and the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, will be chaired alternately by the ruling and opposition parties for one year each. The People Power Party will chair the Administration and Security Committee, and the Democratic Party will chair the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee. From May 30 next year, the two committees will swap chairmanships.

Along with the distribution of standing committees, the formation and operation of the Special Committee on Judicial Reform, which was a key issue, were handled as previously agreed. The name was changed to the Special Committee on Criminal Justice System Reform, with 12 members equally divided between the ruling and opposition parties (6 each). The chairperson will be from the Democratic Party, and agenda items will be handled by mutual agreement between the parties.

The Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which had been a point of contention, will be chaired by the People Power Party, and the chairperson of the Special Committee on Judicial Reform will be from the Democratic Party, an agreement reached early on.

The issue of the Administration and Security Committee and the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee was resolved when the Democratic Party proposed a mediation plan to chair each committee for one year, which the People Power Party accepted. After the meeting, Democratic Party floor leader Hongkeun Park told reporters, "We wanted to choose both (committees), but we hoped the National Assembly would operate promptly," adding, "After much consideration, I proposed the (one-year alternating) plan first at yesterday's floor leaders' meeting." He explained, "From our perspective, concerns about broadcasting control were realistically high, so we prioritized choosing the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee."

It was also agreed to establish the Special Committee on Political Reform and the Special Committee on Pension Reform. The Special Committee on Political Reform will have 17 members (8 from the Democratic Party, 8 from the People Power Party, and 1 from non-negotiating parties), with the chairperson from the Democratic Party. The Special Committee on Pension Reform will be chaired by the People Power Party (13 members: 6 from the Democratic Party, 6 from the People Power Party, and 1 from non-negotiating parties).

Regarding legal responses to the constitutional review cases related to the 'complete prosecution reform' bills such as the Prosecutors' Office Act and the Criminal Procedure Act, which passed the plenary session, it was agreed that the National Assembly Speaker and the first half Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairperson will handle them, and the second half Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairperson will not be involved. Accordingly, the Democratic Party, which chaired the first half Legislation and Judiciary Committee, will handle the constitutional review cases related to the complete prosecution reform.

People Power Party floor leader Seongdong Kwon evaluated the agreement, saying, "We reached an agreement because we thought it was a priority to quickly complete the organizational structure and address urgent livelihood issues."

Although the ruling and opposition parties barely reached an agreement on the organizational structure, the negotiation, which dragged on for two months, was criticized even by lawmakers from both sides who talked about 'voluntary salary return,' leading to an assessment that it was a 'bitter negotiation.' Amid the triple high (high interest rates, high exchange rates, and high prices) economic crisis affecting people's livelihoods, criticism arose that economic and livelihood bills were not being discussed in a timely manner, and even among lawmakers, voices of regret were expressed.

People Power Party lawmaker Eunhee Cho wrote on Facebook the day before, "I intend to return my salary with a feeling of apology to the people," and from the Democratic Party, lawmaker Wonwook Lee pointed out, "A ghost National Assembly that cannot even organize itself should declare no work, no pay and return salaries."

Considering the 54-day National Assembly deadlock, the total salary that lawmakers should return amounts to approximately 6.84238 billion KRW, calculated at 422,369 KRW per person per day.

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