As the ruling Democratic Party and the opposition People Power Party clash over the restructuring of the National Assembly, the Democratic Party, the largest party, urged the People Power Party to cooperate, stating it may consider monopolizing committee positions. However, concerns have been raised that this could affect approval ratings, prompting the Democratic Party to clarify that assembly restructuring should not be linked to public support.
During a National Assembly strategy meeting, Han Byeong-do, the Democratic Party Floor Leader, stated, "We will not waste any more time on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee issue," warning, "We will make a decision on whether to distribute committee positions based on seat numbers or for the Democratic Party to take full responsibility for all committees." He argued that the Democratic Party's control of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee led to significant achievements during the previous assembly, including the passage of key legislation on national security, economic recovery, and judicial reform.
Tensions escalated further after Speaker Cho Jeong-sik met with the floor leaders of both parties and urged them to submit a list of committee members by noon on June 24.
Jeong Jeom-sik, the People Power Party Floor Leader, pointed out during the strategy meeting that many bills passed through the Legislation and Judiciary Committee were hastily amended at the plenary session, asserting, "To restore a normal National Assembly, the People Power Party must hold the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee."
Additionally, Kim Seung-soo, the People Power Party's Deputy Floor Leader, expressed discontent over the Speaker's demand for a deadline, stating, "The negotiations for assembly restructuring have just begun, and it feels coercive to set a deadline in a meeting with both party floor leaders."
In contrast, Cheon Jun-ho, the Democratic Party's Deputy Floor Leader, noted during the strategy meeting that there was a consensus to complete the restructuring by the third week of June, criticizing claims of one-sidedness as distortions of the context.
The ongoing deadlock over assembly restructuring may impact future party approval ratings. Recent polls indicate that the People Power Party has gained ground over the Democratic Party amid internal conflicts and debates surrounding the Democratic Party's leadership.
Political analyst Lee Jong-hoon commented in a conversation with Aju Economy that the Democratic Party's statements appear to be strategic moves to maintain negotiation leverage. He added, "The public expects both parties to conclude negotiations and finalize the assembly restructuring promptly. If they proceed with restructuring despite a lack of agreement, it may not bode well for public opinion management."
He further explained that the competition for the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chairmanship reflects the Democratic Party's aim to prevent governmental obstruction, while the People Power Party seeks to block legislation that could mitigate President Lee Jae-myung's legal challenges.
In response, a Democratic Party official stated, "We must humbly accept the approval ratings," but emphasized that linking assembly restructuring to approval ratings is a separate matter.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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