The Democratic Party is moving forward with committee operations despite the boycott by the People Power Party, resulting in a 'half-assembly.' While both parties are engaged in negotiations, they have repeatedly failed to reach an agreement.
On July 9, the Democratic Party held full meetings for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, and Fisheries Committee, and the Finance and Economy Committee. As a result, eight of the 11 committees, where the Democratic Party has unilaterally elected chairs, have opened for the second half of the National Assembly. This reflects the party's commitment to a 'working National Assembly.'
The People Power Party also boycotted all committee meetings held that day, but the Democratic Party proceeded with scheduled activities, including institutional reports. Following the previous day's introduction of bills in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Finance Committee received reports from nine agencies, including the Ministry of Planning and Finance and the Bank of Korea. The Culture Committee approved plans for a hearing related to the Korea Football Association, including a list of witnesses and reference persons.
The Culture Committee plans to hold the hearing on July 22 to examine the appointment process for the national football team coach and explore ways to normalize operations at the Korea Football Association. Thirteen witnesses have been selected, including former Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-kyu, former national team coach Hong Myung-bo, and former Technical Director Lee Im-sang. The committee also approved requests for attendance from 10 reference persons, including Park Ji-sung, co-chair of the K-Football Innovation Committee, and national team captain Son Heung-min.
Democratic Party lawmakers expressed regret over the 'half-assembly' due to the People Power Party's absence and pressured them to participate in the committees. Lee Jae-jung, chair of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, stated during the full meeting, "It is very regrettable that all members of the People Power Party were absent from the first meeting. I hope they return quickly so we can wisely address the pressing issues together."
The leadership of both parties continues to engage in negotiations. The People Power Party held a general meeting on July 2, agreeing to pursue a stronger protest and boycott committee schedules, yet they are still appearing at the negotiation table. Following a meeting between the deputy floor leaders of both parties the previous day, the floor leaders and deputy floor leaders met again under the chairmanship of National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik.
However, they have consistently failed to narrow their differences. Disagreements between the parties, particularly regarding committee formation and the special investigation into the shortage of ballots, have complicated the situation further.
Meanwhile, Speaker Cho urged the floor leaders of both parties to finalize committee formation and agree on the agenda for the July extraordinary session before Constitution Day on July 17. However, the likelihood of a sudden shift in positions leading to a dramatic agreement appears slim.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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