After a Week of Disruption, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Convenes... Adjourns After 'Your Fault' Dispute

National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee Adjourns 20 Minutes After Convening
No Bill Passed, Another Clash Over 'Impeachment Motion' Between Ruling and Opposition Parties
Opposition: "Legislation Committee and Plenary Session Are Unrelated... Impeachment Motion to Proceed as Scheduled"
Ruling Party: "Only Words on Livelihood... Disruption Due to Political Impeachment Tactics"

The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee convened a plenary session on the 29th, a week after a breakdown, but the ruling and opposition parties continued their standoff over the impeachment motion against Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairman Lee Dong-gwan, resulting in the session adjourning after just 20 minutes without any bill being processed. Previously, the committee also experienced a breakdown lasting 24 minutes on the 22nd, a day before the plenary session, due to the absence of People Power Party members.

The People Power Party blamed the Democratic Party for the repeated breakdowns in the committee, accusing them of pushing for impeachment, while the Democratic Party emphasized "livelihood bills" and shifted responsibility onto the ruling party. In particular, the Democratic Party plans to proceed with the plenary session as scheduled from the 30th regardless of the committee's failure to process agenda items and intends to forcibly pass the impeachment motion against Chairman Lee Dong-gwan and two prosecutors.

On the 29th, as the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's plenary session was adjourned at the National Assembly, Chairman Kim Do-eup and ruling party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik were leaving the meeting room. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On that day, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee convened a plenary session at the request of Democratic Party members of the committee but again adjourned after 20 minutes without processing any bills. So Byeong-cheol, the Democratic Party's secretary of the committee, expressed "serious regret that even the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is breaking down to block the impeachment motion," pointing out that "there are 351 bills pending, including those passed from other standing committees." He added, "While the plenary session agenda can be postponed by agreement among the floor leaders, using the Legislation and Judiciary Committee as a 'means' is absolutely unacceptable regardless of party affiliation," urging the "opening of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee."

Democratic Party lawmaker Song Ki-heon also said, "Isn't it true that the committee is not being convened due to problems within the committee itself?" and added, "Impeachment is a matter for the floor leaders of both parties, not the committee." He further questioned ruling party members, "Why is the Legislation and Judiciary Committee bearing the responsibility for political strife? Don't you clearly know that this is not something the committee should block?" The ruling party claims that the Democratic Party's strategic push for impeachment is preventing the committee from functioning normally, but Song refuted this by stating that the impeachment motion and the committee are unrelated.

Lee Dong-kwan, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, is expressing his position regarding the impeachment motion against him at the National Assembly Rotunda Hall on the 9th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The People Power Party immediately responded to these opposition claims. Committee ruling party secretary Jeong Jeom-sik said, "We fully agree on the need to promptly process livelihood bills, but the reason the committee was disrupted is because the Democratic Party tried to forcibly pass the impeachment motion against Chairman Lee Dong-gwan and two prosecutors," criticizing, "It is absurd for the Democratic Party to blame us for that." He added, "The Democratic Party's insistence on pushing the impeachment motion despite our opposition is ultimately aimed at turning even the last regular session of the 21st National Assembly into a 'political strife session' and an 'impeachment session.'"

People Power Party lawmaker Jo Su-jin expressed strong regret over the unilateral convening of the meeting again today, ignoring consultation procedures, saying, "Chairman Lee Dong-gwan is being impeached politically despite no constitutional or legal violations, which can only be seen as an attempt to tie his hands and prevent him from working until next year's general election." She continued, "While they say they want to process livelihood bills, their actions are different," raising her voice, "Floor leader Hong Ik-pyo even publicly threatened, saying he will make a 'serious decision.'"

On the 29th, a full meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee was held at the National Assembly. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Kim Do-eup, the People Power Party chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, after listening to the procedural speeches of lawmakers from both parties, said, "Regardless of the reasons, the committee must be properly operated, and as chairman, I feel more responsible than anyone else for the need to promptly process the piled-up bills." He added, "As far as I know, discussions are underway between the secretaries of both parties regarding convening a plenary session for bill review," and urged, "Although it is a difficult situation, please cooperate well so that the committee can convene as soon as possible."

Democratic Party lawmaker So Byeong-cheol, speaking to reporters outside the meeting room after the adjournment was declared, said, "The People Power Party has clearly indicated that their refusal to convene the committee is to block the impeachment motion," but added, "There was agreement on holding the committee next week due to the urgency of bill processing." He stated that the party's policy is to process the impeachment motion at the plenary session scheduled for the 30th regardless of the committee's agenda and added, "The People Power Party's linking of the committee to the plenary session has become meaningless."

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