National Assembly Elects 6 Standing Committee Chairs for Democratic Party Including Public Administration and Education

Reelection of Seo Samsok as Budget Committee Chair and New Criteria Excluding Key Democratic Party Officials

On the 14th, the National Assembly held a plenary session and newly elected six standing committee chairs allocated to the Democratic Party of Korea. All six are re-elected members belonging to the Democratic Party.

Kim Gyo-heung was elected as Chair of the Administrative and Security Committee, Kim Cheol-min as Chair of the Education Committee, Park Jeong as Chair of the Environment and Labor Committee, Shin Dong-geun as Chair of the Health and Welfare Committee, Lee Jae-jeong as Chair of the Industry, Trade, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, and Seo Sam-seok as Chair of the Special Budget and Accounts Committee.

The replacement of the five standing committee chairs, excluding the permanent Special Budget and Accounts Committee, was due to the Democratic Party nominating new chairs for the committees previously held by the opposition party. The terms of the newly elected chairs will last until May 29 next year, when the 21st National Assembly's term ends.

Earlier, the Democratic Party confirmed these standing committee chair appointments at a party members' meeting held just before the plenary session on the same day.

Originally, at the party members' meeting on the 30th of last month, strong dissatisfaction with the parliamentary leadership's standing committee chair appointments erupted, resulting in the failure to elect any Democratic Party standing committee chairs at the plenary session held that day. There were complaints that Park Hong-geun, Woo Sang-ho (former floor leader), Jeong Cheong-rae (current senior supreme council member), Han Jeong-ae, Park Beom-gye (former ministers), and Kim Kyung-hyeop (Chair of the Intelligence Committee in the first half of the 21st National Assembly), who had been nominated as chairs, should yield as they had already held key positions.

In response, on the 12th, the Democratic Party's parliamentary leadership, including the party leader, floor leader, supreme council members, secretary-general, and policy committee chair, decided not to concurrently hold standing committee chair positions. They also established new criteria excluding those who had held ministerial or higher political positions or had previously served as floor leaders from standing committee chair appointments.

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