Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 'Ruling Party Recommended Member' Election Rejected, Ruling Party Collective Protest... Plenary Session Suspended

Ruling Party Lawmakers Walk Out Together, Plenary Session Suspended
Opposition: "Defending Ryu Seok-chun's Remarks Causes Conflict"
Over 60 Bills Reviewed, Voting Postponed

On the 24th, the National Assembly put to a vote the proposal to elect seven members of the 2nd Past Affairs Settlement Committee for Truth and Reconciliation (Truth and Reconciliation Committee) during the plenary session, electing six members, but one nominee recommended by the ruling party was rejected due to opposition from the Democratic Party of Korea. In response, ruling party lawmakers strongly protested, and some left the plenary hall, causing the session to be suspended.

In the plenary session that day, two candidates for the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, lawyer Lee Sang-hoon and Lee Ok-nam, director of the Market Economy and Democracy Research Institute, were nominated as standing members, while five others?Professor Oh Dong-seok of Ajou University, lawyer Lee Sang-hee of the law firm Jihyang, Heo Sang-soo, chairman of the Korean Social Science Research Association, Professor Lee Je-bong of the Department of Education at Ulsan University, and lawyer Cha Ki-hwan of the law firm Seonjeong?were nominated as non-standing members.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As a result of the National Assembly vote that day, the election proposal for six members was approved except for Professor Lee Je-bong. When the proposal for Professor Lee Je-bong was rejected with 147 votes against out of 269 members present, Sung Il-jong, the Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party, went to the speaker's podium to protest, and ruling party lawmakers shouted loudly and left the plenary hall.

Subsequently, Kim Young-joo, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, declared a recess, stating, "The plenary session will be recessed for 30 minutes to allow negotiations between the floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties."

Jung Jin-seok, Emergency Committee Chair of the People Power Party, met with reporters in front of the plenary hall and said, "If the ruling and opposition parties agreed on the candidates, they should follow the long-standing parliamentary customs and traditions. How can they suddenly reject them? What kind of person is Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party?" He criticized, "The Democratic Party still does not realize that such displays of power and tyranny will come back as a boomerang."

People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong also said, "This is a violation of good faith. It is customary and an implicit agreement to agree on the people recommended by both parties," adding, "Breaking this and rejecting our recommended candidate means they have no intention to work together politically. Continuing the plenary session under these circumstances is meaningless."

In response, Oh Young-hwan, floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said, "Professor Lee is known among lawmakers as a person who strongly defended former Yonsei University professor Ryu Seok-chun when he was indicted in September 2019 for saying 'comfort women were a form of prostitution,' condemning the prosecution," adding, "He has repeatedly made biased ideological remarks such as 'The Moon Jae-in administration is an anti-Republic of Korea, pro-North Korea, and pro-foreign domination force,' and 'It is justice to send the Moon Jae-in administration's faction to prison,' which caused national conflict."

He also said, "Although there was no official discussion in party meetings or among lawmakers, concerns about Professor Lee were shared, leading to the rejection," and added, "This was not decided as party policy but was based on individual judgments of the lawmakers."

Ultimately, Deputy Speaker Kim declared the adjournment of the plenary session that day. With the session suspended, about 60 bills were not voted on and were postponed to the plenary session on the 27th.

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