Jeong Jeom-sik, the newly elected floor leader of the People Power Party, met with Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, for the first time on June 10. Jeong expressed agreement with Han, stating, "If there are responsibilities to be assigned to the Election Commission, we should address them, and any necessary reforms should be implemented swiftly." However, he noted differences regarding the formation of the assembly for the second half of the term.
During their meeting on June 11 at the National Assembly, Jeong emphasized the need for continued agreement on the introduction of a national investigation and urged for the assembly to be formed quickly for the Prime Minister's confirmation hearing and other matters. He stated, "If the major ruling party, the Democratic Party, makes concessions, it could be possible within one or two days."
Jeong further remarked, "The National Assembly should be a place for dialogue and compromise," pointing out that the public is aware of the breakdown in communication and the unilateral actions taken by the majority party.
This comment is interpreted as Jeong's request for the position of chair of the Legislative and Judiciary Committee. Earlier that day, during a Supreme Council meeting, he argued that offering the chair position to the second-largest party in the assembly formation for the second half of the term would be a positive step in response to public sentiment following the June 3 local elections.
In response, Han stated, "The national investigation into the Election Commission's inadequate management is a pressing issue," and called for both parties to work together to ensure accountability and prevent recurrence, aiming for a National Assembly that is perceived as effective by the public.
He added, "There have been many instances in the past where the formation of the assembly took a long time," urging both parties to expedite the process to address the Election Commission issues and restore public livelihoods, so that the National Assembly can be evaluated positively by the public. However, given Han's previous statements indicating he would not concede the chair position to the People Power Party, challenges in negotiations are anticipated.
Meanwhile, during the National Assembly's plenary session that day, requests for a national investigation into the shortage of ballots submitted by each party were reported. Both parties agree on the necessity of a national investigation, and detailed negotiations regarding its scope and methods are expected to commence. The two floor leaders are scheduled to meet with National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun later in the afternoon to discuss current issues.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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