Three-Way Race for People Power Party's National Assembly Vice Speaker... Ruling and Opposition Parties to Announce Results on the 13th

Cho Bae-sook and Park Deokheum Announced, Followed by Cho Kyungtae's Entry
Nam Insoon and Min Hongchul Make Another Bid from the Ruling Party

Cho Kyungtae, Cho Bae-sook, and Park Deokheum, lawmakers from the People Power Party, are competing in a three-way race for the position of National Assembly Vice Speaker allocated to the opposition for the latter half of the 22nd National Assembly term (from May 30, 2026 to May 29, 2028). On the ruling party side, Nam Insoon and Min Hongchul have announced their intentions to run. Both parties are scheduled to select their respective candidates for the Vice Speaker position for the latter half of the term on May 13. The final selection will be confirmed through a plenary session vote at the National Assembly.

Yonhap News

On the morning of May 11, Cho Kyungtae held a press conference at the National Assembly's communication center and declared his candidacy for Vice Speaker. Cho, who has a background in the Democratic Party, is a six-term lawmaker, making him, along with current Vice Speaker Joo Ho-young, the most senior member in the party. During the press conference, Cho stated, "I am the only six-term lawmaker who has experienced both progressive and conservative politics in South Korea," adding, "With experience that transcends political camps and through strategic negotiations that can outmaneuver the ruling party, I will significantly raise the profile of the People Power Party as the leading opposition party."

Previously, Cho Bae-sook (five-term lawmaker) and Park Deokheum (four-term lawmaker) officially announced their candidacies for Vice Speaker on May 8. Cho Bae-sook declared, "As the daughter of Honam, I will become a catalyst for integration across regions and generations." Park Deokheum stated, "I will guide both the ruling and opposition parties to reach consensus through dialogue and compromise." Park is making his second attempt for the Vice Speaker position, following his candidacy in the first half of the term.

The People Power Party began accepting candidate registrations on this day and will hold a general assembly on May 13 to select its Vice Speaker candidate. The selected Vice Speaker will lead the National Assembly’s legislative activities for two years in the latter half of the term, following the main Vice Speaker.

Meanwhile, within the Democratic Party of Korea, Nam Insoon and Min Hongchul announced their intentions to run for the Vice Speaker position allocated to the ruling party on May 4. Both lawmakers are four-term senior members. They previously ran for the Vice Speaker position in the first half of the 22nd National Assembly as well. In that election, Lee Hakyoung (also a four-term lawmaker) won and currently holds the Vice Speaker position.

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