SEOUL, July 06 (AJP) - Ruling-majority National Assembly of South Korea on Monday opened for extraordinary session under the boycott of the main opposition People Power Party.
The session was called after 161 Democratic Party lawmakers, led by acting party leader and floor leader Han Byeong-do, submitted a formal request for the extraordinary session on July 3. The National Assembly duly announced the opening of the session in accordance with the request.
People Power Party lawmakers boycotted the proceedings, protesting what they called the Democratic Party's unilateral takeover of the legislature's committee structure. The Democratic Party went ahead and appointed chairs for 11 standing committees, including the powerful Legislation and Judiciary Committee, without opposition participation. People Power has vowed to withhold cooperation from National Assembly operations going forward.
The session opened under the shadow of a deepening partisan standoff, with the second half of the legislative term effectively beginning as a one-party assembly.
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