Truth and Reconciliation Commission 'Ruling Party Recommended Member' Election Rejected... Ruling Party "Passage Is Customary" vs Opposition "Lawmakers' Conscience" (Summary)

Collective Walkout After Protest, Plenary Session Suspended

On the 24th, the National Assembly held a vote in the plenary session to elect seven members of the 2nd Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Past Affairs (Truth and Reconciliation Commission), electing six members, but one nominee recommended by the ruling party was rejected due to opposition from the Democratic Party of Korea. This led to fierce protests from ruling party lawmakers, with some leaving the plenary hall, causing the session to be suspended.

In the plenary session that day, two candidates for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, lawyer Lee Sang-hoon and Lee Ok-nam, director of the Market Economy and Democracy Research Institute, were nominated as standing members, while five others?Professor Oh Dong-seok of Ajou University, lawyer Lee Sang-hee of the law firm Jihyang, Heo Sang-soo, chairman of the Korean Social Science Research Association, Professor Lee Je-bong of Ulsan University’s Department of Education, and lawyer Cha Ki-hwan of the law firm Seonjeong?were nominated as non-standing members.

As a result of the vote in the National Assembly that day, the election proposals for six members were approved except for Professor Lee Je-bong. When the proposal for Professor Lee Je-bong was rejected with 147 votes against out of 269 members present, Sung Il-jong, the Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party, went to the speaker’s podium to protest, and ruling party lawmakers shouted loudly and left the plenary hall.

Following this, Kim Young-joo, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, declared a recess, saying, "We will recess the plenary session for 30 minutes to allow negotiations between the floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jung Jin-seok, the Emergency Committee Chair of the People Power Party, met with reporters in front of the plenary hall and said, "If the ruling and opposition parties agreed and nominated candidates, they should follow the long-standing parliamentary customs and traditions. How can they suddenly reject them? What kind of person is Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party?" He criticized, "The Democratic Party still does not realize that such displays of power and tyranny will come back as a boomerang."

People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong also said, "This is a violation of good faith. It is customary and an implicit agreement to agree on candidates recommended by both parties," adding, "Breaking this and rejecting our recommended candidate means they have no intention to cooperate politically. Continuing the plenary session under these circumstances is meaningless."

In response, Oh Young-hwan, the Democratic Party floor spokesperson, said, "Professor Lee was known among lawmakers as a person who strongly defended former Yonsei University professor Ryu Seok-chun when he was indicted in September 2019 for his remarks that 'comfort women were a form of prostitution,' condemning the prosecution," and added, "He repeatedly made biased ideological remarks such as 'The Moon Jae-in administration is an anti-Republic of Korea, pro-North Korea, and pro-foreign powers faction,' and 'It is justice to send the Moon Jae-in administration’s faction to prison,' which caused national conflict."

He further explained, "Although there was no official discussion in the party meeting or among lawmakers, concerns about Professor Lee were shared, leading to the rejection. This was not a party stance but an individual judgment by lawmakers."

Ultimately, Deputy Speaker Kim declared the adjournment of the plenary session that day. With the session suspended, about 60 bills were not voted on and were postponed to the plenary session on the 27th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

After the plenary session, the leadership of both ruling and opposition parties continued their disputes. Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, criticized the ruling party lawmakers who left the session, saying, "Their claims ignore the basic common sense of the National Assembly Act," and pointed out, "Each agenda item was naturally agreed upon to reach this stage, and from then on, who decides? Individual members of the National Assembly, as separate constitutional institutions, decide by voting according to their conscience and beliefs."

Regarding the rejection of Professor Lee Je-bong’s election, he explained, "There was no discussion before we entered, but when we entered the plenary hall, we saw how one-sided his extravagant claims were, and I think the lawmakers made their judgment on the spot."

On the other hand, Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the People Power Party, held a press conference that day and said, "The members recommended by each party are usually people who can somewhat represent the party’s views. Therefore, when each party recommends someone, it has been a long-standing parliamentary custom to mutually understand and approve them," and countered, "It seems the Democratic Party vetoed because they have a majority."

He added regarding Professor Lee Je-bong, "I believe academic freedom should not be questioned, so we plan to request his approval in the next National Assembly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.