[Interview] Kim Tae-nyeon, Candidate for Speaker: "Judge Who Can Truly Lead a High-Performing National Assembly"

Interview with the Speaker Candidate

Presents Concrete Roadmap for Cooperation and Constitutional Reform

Three-Way Race Against Park Ji-won and Cho Jung-sik

"Please consider comprehensively who is best equipped to manage and lead the National Assembly during this period so that it can be both productive and trusted by the people, and so that it becomes a place where lawmakers can take pride in their roles as elected officials."

On May 11, Kim Tae-nyeon, a five-term lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea and a candidate for the position of Speaker of the 22nd National Assembly for the second half of the term, made this appeal in an interview with The Asia Business Daily. Amidst a three-way race with Park Ji-won and Cho Jeong-sik, Kim Tae-nyeon emphasized his key priorities: a "high-performing National Assembly" and a "competent Speaker."

Kim Tae-nyeon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who has announced his candidacy for the 22nd National Assembly Speaker election for the second half term, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 11th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Previously, during his tenure as floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea in 2020, Kim Tae-nyeon established the so-called "Working National Assembly Act." This legislation mandated that standing committees be convened every month and introduced multiple legislative subcommittees to enhance the efficiency of bill reviews. This year, he also proposed an amendment to the National Assembly Act under the name "Working National Assembly Act." Kim Tae-nyeon stated, "While the National Assembly Act stipulates the regular convening of meetings, this is often not followed," adding, "That is why I established what I call the 'Unstoppable National Assembly Act,' or the Working National Assembly Act."

He said, "To make the National Assembly productive, cooperation across party lines is essential." However, he emphasized, "Cooperation cannot rely on goodwill alone. Institutionalized mechanisms for cooperation are necessary." Kim Tae-nyeon added, "The amount of deliberation must be increased, and for that to happen, meetings must be held on time and must not be interrupted."

Regarding the constitutional amendment that stalled at the plenary session on May 8, Kim Tae-nyeon promised prompt action. He stated, "Any constitutional revision must now comprehensively address issues such as the basic rights of the people and the restructuring of the power structure. If it is pursued alongside the general elections, political stakeholders may weigh their interests and the process could stall again, so we must keep it as separate as possible from the general elections." He added, "A national referendum on constitutional revision should be held at least one year prior to the general elections." He further emphasized, "As soon as the second half of the National Assembly begins, we should agree on the date and timeline for the amendment, and the content should be finalized through public participation and deliberation, with the final proposal put to a national referendum."

Kim Tae-nyeon also expressed his intention to invigorate parliamentary diplomacy by establishing a dedicated National Assembly Diplomacy Office. As the president of the Korea-China Parliamentary Friendship Association, he explained, "This is an era of diplomacy. Government diplomacy is important, and so is civil diplomacy—but parliamentary diplomacy is equally crucial. When all these capabilities are combined, they form the nation's full diplomatic capacity." He is also considering expanding the National Assembly's organizational structure for this purpose. Kim Tae-nyeon noted, "The National Assembly currently has an International Bureau, but its function is mainly protocol, not planning diplomacy." He insisted, "We must establish a dedicated diplomacy office and increase its budget." He highlighted, "For example, Assemblyman Cha Jiho has personally funded economic diplomacy activities such as attracting investment from BlackRock and bringing the United Nations' AI Center to Korea. Such efforts should not be left unsupported; they should be provided with backing so that these activities can become national assets."

Kim Tae-nyeon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who has announced his candidacy for the 22nd National Assembly Speaker election in the second half, is giving an interview with The Asia Business Daily on the 11th at the National Assembly Members' Office in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

The following is a Q&A session.

- What values do you believe the Speaker should uphold? If there is a conflict between reform, the will of the people, and bipartisan cooperation, how would you choose?

▲The most important criterion is the people. The Speaker's neutrality is not about favoring any particular party, but about making responsible decisions based on the people and the Constitution. The will of the people, reform, and cooperation are not conflicting values—they must move forward together. The will of the people sets the direction, reform is the process of institutionalizing that will, and cooperation is the method for arriving at responsible conclusions. However, cooperation must not become another name for parliamentary paralysis. Dialogue must continue to the end, but wasting the people's time indefinitely through endless discussions without conclusions is unacceptable. I have always negotiated persistently and made bold decisions. That is how I have worked throughout my career.

- What are the key agendas you wish to promote as Speaker?

▲First, establishing popular sovereignty. I will make the National Assembly a forum for social dialogue. I will personally mediate and take responsibility for addressing issues such as inequality and polarization, low birthrate and an aging society, and conflicts between capital and labor. I will also make constitutional revision—the first national policy task of Lee Jae-myung's government of popular sovereignty—a reality. Second, establishing legislative sovereignty. Through the "Working National Assembly Act," I will ensure the plenary session convenes automatically and bills are processed within set deadlines, creating a predictable National Assembly. Third, establishing sovereignty over public livelihood. I will create a "Public Livelihood Economic Strategy Council" directly under the Speaker, where the National Assembly, government, and businesses can discuss key agendas and connect them to legislation and budgets. In addition, I will establish a specialized organization to drive the National Assembly's AI transformation. I will build a system that utilizes AI in all aspects of legislative research, budget analysis, bill review, and parliamentary support.

- You have declared your intention to make the National Assembly a forum for social dialogue. Can you elaborate on your vision?

▲Challenges such as low birthrate, an aging society, regional extinction, industrial transformation, the dual structure of the labor market, and polarization are difficult to resolve through party negotiations alone. As Speaker, I will personally lead social dialogue. I will create a framework for discussion that involves both ruling and opposition parties, the government, stakeholders, experts, and civil society, and I will ensure that these discussions do not end as mere talk but are connected to legislation and budgeting. I will institutionalize social dialogue so that it does not depend solely on the Speaker's personal resolve. Cooperation is not just about relationships; it is about competence.

- What are your distinct strengths compared to candidates Park Ji-won and Cho Jeong-sik?

▲Decisiveness and competence. I have made tough decisions and produced tangible results. We are at a major turning point, and history will ultimately judge what the National Assembly and Korean politics accomplished at this critical moment. What this era demands of the Speaker is: "Who can truly create a high-performing National Assembly?" From securing state funding for daycare Nuri Curriculum, introducing online party membership and safe-number systems to institutionalize the Democratic Party, passing major reforms like the 52-hour workweek, raising the minimum wage, and establishing regulatory sandboxes as policy committee chair, to passing the most reform bills since democratization in 1987 as floor leader in 2020, and making the bold decision for the Democratic Party to take all 18 standing committee chair positions during the COVID-19 crisis—my track record speaks for itself. My competence, built on experience, is my strength.

- The votes of party members are also important. What do you believe party members want?

▲The expectations of party members are clear: the success of Lee Jae-myung's government of popular sovereignty, normalization of the National Assembly, and fulfillment of legislative promises made to the people. It is people who do the work, and those with experience who make bold decisions. Only those who have endured negotiations to the end can succeed in them. I will be a Speaker who works, not just performs ceremonial duties. I will channel the passion of party members as a driving force for reform, but I will manage the National Assembly based on procedures, deliberation, and the interests of all citizens. I will ensure that party member sovereignty strengthens the National Assembly's foundation as a body of popular sovereignty.

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