![Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly on April 21. [Photo=Yonhap]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/04/21/20260421143236878851.jpg)
Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do said April 21 he would step down, citing the need to take responsibility for a packed agenda, while signaling he plans to seek another term.
Han told a news conference at the National Assembly that it was his 101st day in office. “I’ve done a lot, but there is still a lot to do,” he said.
He said the party must “dig into the truth” behind what he called “fabricated indictments” by the “Yoon Suk Yeol political prosecution,” and speed up livelihood-related legislation in response to the Middle East crisis.
Han also pointed to what he called a rare chance for constitutional revision, saying the party would focus its efforts on passing a constitutional amendment bill at the May 7 plenary session.
He said he would also complete legislation tied to major state tasks to support stable governance and the success of the “Lee Jae-myung government.”
On the allocation of National Assembly committee chairmanships, Han said he had previously raised the possibility of an 18-0 split after seeing the People Power Party delay passage of a special law on investment in the United States. He said he was alarmed that the party used the operation of a special committee on U.S. investment as a political tool even when national interests were at stake.
“There is a tradition in the National Assembly of the ruling and opposition parties respecting each other in dividing committees, but the premise is doing the work,” Han said. If the People Power Party uses even public-interest issues for political fights, he warned, the principle behind committee-sharing “has no meaning,” suggesting a one-sided allocation could be possible if the party obstructs state affairs or creates committees that do not function.
Han took office in January after then-floor leader Kim Byung-ki resigned amid controversies. With his term set to end in May, Han announced his resignation in advance to run in the next floor leader election.
Under the Democratic Party system in place since the 19th National Assembly, no floor leader has won a second term. If Han wins, he would be the first. Potential rivals mentioned include lawmakers Park Jeong and Baek Hye-ryeon, who faced him in a by-election, and Seo Young-kyo, who previously competed against Kim. The election is scheduled for May 6.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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