Ruling Party Pressures Opposition Amid Ongoing National Assembly Leadership Dispute

Rival parties are locked in a tug-of-war over the position of chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee as negotiations for the formation of the 22nd National Assembly continue. The Democratic Party has pressured the People Power Party to submit its list of committee members by noon on June 26, threatening to elect 18 committee chairs if they fail to comply. In response, the People Power Party has called for an end to what they describe as "intimidation politics" and urged the Democrats to relinquish their claim to the committee chair.

On June 25, Han Byung-do, the Democratic Party's floor leader, urged National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun to convene a plenary session and assign the 18 committee chairs if the People Power Party does not submit its list by the deadline. Earlier, Speaker Chung had requested both parties to submit their lists by noon on June 24, but after the People Power Party failed to do so, he extended the deadline to June 26. According to Article 48, Paragraph 1 of the National Assembly Act, the representative of a negotiating group must request the appointment of committee members to the Speaker at least three days before the expiration of their term. If no request is made by that deadline, the Speaker can appoint members at their discretion.

During a policy coordination meeting held on the same day, Han criticized the People Power Party for refusing to submit their list, claiming they were using the excuse that the regulations were merely advisory. He stated, "If they cannot take the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, they seem to think it is acceptable for the National Assembly to come to a standstill." He added, "We can no longer tolerate the paralysis of the National Assembly, as the People Power Party's relentless obstinacy is pushing the livelihoods of the people to a critical crisis." He insisted that the plenary session must be held this week to complete the election of committee chairs, stating, "This is the fastest and clearest way to get the stalled National Assembly moving again."

Conversely, the People Power Party has accused the Democratic Party of pressuring them to monopolize the committee chairs. Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik raised concerns during a Supreme Council meeting, asking, "Are we negotiating, or are we being threatened? Do they think the People Power Party will give up the Legislation and Judiciary Committee out of fear from their threats, or are they building up to monopolize all 18 committees?"

Jeong pointed out that the Democratic Party has not presented any negotiation proposals to their party, merely repeating that they cannot concede the Legislation and Judiciary Committee without offering any alternatives. He criticized their lack of sincerity in negotiations, stating, "The party that holds the initiative should present a proposal first, but the Democratic Party has not offered anything. How can we submit a list when the distribution of committees has not been determined?"

As both parties remain at an impasse over the distribution of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair, it appears likely that the second negotiation deadline set for June 26 will also be missed. While the ruling party has indicated it may proceed with the formation of committees unilaterally if the People Power Party does not submit its list, this could provoke backlash against what might be seen as a "majority party's unilateralism." This is particularly concerning given the recent decline in presidential approval ratings and party support following the June 3 local elections.

However, within the Democratic Party, there are discussions about potentially unilaterally handling the election of key committee chairs, such as the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, in the plenary session while negotiating the distribution of other committees, a strategy referred to as "salami tactics." In the past, the Democratic Party successfully secured all 18 committee chairs during the first half of the 21st National Assembly after negotiations broke down in 2020.