The Democratic Party has set a goal to finalize the formation of committees by June 18, but as of June 17, negotiations are proving difficult. However, the party has indicated that it may monopolize the standing committees if negotiations drag on, emphasizing that talks are the priority.
According to political sources, Democratic Party Deputy Floor Leader Cheon Jun-ho and People Power Party Deputy Floor Leader Kim Seung-soo have been in continuous contact leading up to the June 18 plenary session, but as of 3 p.m. on June 17, they had not yet met. While communication between the two leaders continues, no confirmed schedule has been reported.
During the negotiation process, the two leaders achieved some progress, agreeing to establish a special committee to address the recent mishandling of ballots by the Election Commission and to pass a plan for a national investigation at the plenary session on June 18. However, they remain at an impasse regarding the formation of standing committees. Both parties have expressed a strong desire to secure the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee, and there are clear differences in their positions regarding economic-related committees, such as the Political Affairs Committee.
Tensions between the two parties regarding the Judiciary Committee are escalating. Both Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party and Jeong Jeom-sik of the People Power Party have publicly expressed their strong intentions regarding the committee.
The Democratic Party argues that the ruling party should take charge of the Judiciary Committee to support the governance and livelihood stability of President Lee Jae-myung's administration in its second year. In response, the People Power Party has accused the Democratic Party of attempting to continue legislative overreach into the second half of their term through control of the Judiciary Committee. They also contend that since the Democratic Party, as the majority party, has the right to hold the National Assembly Speaker position, the chair of the Judiciary Committee should go to the second-largest party.
Additionally, during a recent meeting, Jeong warned the People Power Party that they could also reclaim economic-related committee positions. Conversely, the People Power Party insists that it must secure at least seven committee chair positions.
The key position among the economic-related committees appears to be the chair of the Political Affairs Committee, which oversees the Fair Trade Commission and the Financial Services Commission, directly impacting major economic legislation such as amendments to capital market laws and commercial laws. Previously, President Lee Jae-myung criticized the Political Affairs Committee, which was chaired by the opposition during the first half of the National Assembly, stating that "the opposition chair is unable to accomplish anything."
Given the sharp differences between the two parties, there are concerns that the Democratic Party may monopolize the committee formation. Earlier, during the first half of the National Assembly, Democratic Party leader Jeon Chang-rae and Jeong had mentioned the possibility of monopolization under the banner of a "working National Assembly." In fact, the Democratic Party previously occupied all committee chair positions in the 21st National Assembly after negotiations with the Future United Party broke down, claiming it was an unavoidable choice for a "working National Assembly."
Nonetheless, the Democratic Party maintains that negotiations are the priority. Deputy Spokesperson Lee Joo-hee stated to reporters, "It is not yet the stage for discussions on that matter," adding, "We cannot quickly bring out such cards at this negotiation stage." If the Democratic Party attempts to monopolize the standing committees as a last resort, it is expected to escalate tensions between the ruling and opposition parties.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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