On June 5, the National Assembly convened a plenary session and elected Cho Jung-sik of the Democratic Party as the Speaker for the second half of the 22nd National Assembly. Alongside this, 14 newly elected lawmakers from the recent by-elections also began their terms.
During the session, Cho was elected as Speaker with 267 votes in favor out of 276 eligible members. He emphasized the need to address challenges such as the AI revolution, climate crisis, unstable international situations, and economic polarization, stating, "The National Assembly has the duty and responsibility to ensure the safety and happiness of the people with the authority entrusted by them."
Cho outlined several initiatives aimed at transforming the National Assembly into a more responsive institution, including: accelerating legislation for public welfare, expanding citizen participation, establishing an advisory body under the Speaker for future advancements, and promoting national interest diplomacy to respond to rapidly changing global circumstances.
He also reiterated the necessity of constitutional reform, asserting, "Next year presents a prime opportunity for meaningful discussions on constitutional amendments, as there will be no nationwide elections. Let us fulfill our historical responsibility by realizing a constitution that reflects the aspirations of the people and the future of the nation."
Nam In-soon and Park Deok-heum, who were elected as Vice Speakers with 251 votes from 265 Democratic Party members and 214 votes from 246 People Power Party members, respectively, pledged to responsibly tackle issues critical to South Korea's future, such as climate change, energy, and regional extinction crises. They committed to upholding the spirit of cooperation and dialogue maintained by previous leaderships, aiming to create a dignified National Assembly that prioritizes public welfare.
The Democratic Party had previously decided on Cho and Nam as Speaker and Vice Speaker during a general meeting on May 13. The People Power Party also elected Park as Vice Speaker on the same day, indicating a smooth formation of the new leadership.
The Democratic Party attempted to hold a plenary session on May 20 to expedite the election of the leadership, but it was disrupted by opposition from the People Power Party regarding what they viewed as unilateral actions by the Democratic Party. Following discussions between the floor leaders of both parties on May 19, the election process for the new leadership was successfully completed on this day.
Additionally, the plenary session included the appointment of 14 lawmakers elected in the by-elections held on June 3. This included nine seats from the Democratic Party and four from the People Power Party, along with one independent seat.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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