Jo Jung-sik Elected as Speaker for Second Half of 22nd National Assembly; Nam Insoon and Park Deokhum as Deputy Speakers (Comprehensive)

Ruling and Opposition Parties to Begin Negotiations on Committee Formation

Cho Jung-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, has been officially elected as the Speaker for the second half of the 22nd National Assembly.

Jo Jung-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea elected as the Speaker of the 22nd National Assembly in the second half, is delivering his acceptance speech at the "436th National Assembly (Extraordinary Session) 1st plenary session" held at the National Assembly on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On June 5, the ruling and opposition parties held a plenary session at the National Assembly and elected Assemblyman Cho as the Speaker for the latter half, with 267 votes in favor out of 276 legislators present.

According to the National Assembly Act, Speaker Cho will leave the Democratic Party and become an independent. His term will last until May 2028, which marks the end of the 22nd National Assembly's mandate.

In his victory speech, Speaker Cho stated, "Let us fulfill the responsibilities of our time by achieving constitutional reform that embodies the people's aspirations and the nation's future."

Speaker Cho, a six-term senior lawmaker, is also recognized as a 'policy expert,' having served as Special Political Advisor to President Lee Jae-myung. He is known for his gentle character and strong ability to mediate among lawmakers.

For the position of Deputy Speaker, Nam Insoon, a four-term member of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Park Deokhum, a four-term member of the People Power Party, were each elected. Deputy Speaker Nam received 251 votes out of 265 total ballots, while Deputy Speaker Park garnered 214 votes out of 246 total ballots.

In her remarks upon election, Deputy Speaker Nam said, "The National Assembly must be equipped with a system that can mediate conflicts and offer solutions," and added, "I will strive to create an institutional structure for cooperation that does not simply pay lip service, but ensures we do not waste the people's time."

Deputy Speaker Park commented, "Politics begins with recognizing our differences," and stated, "As Deputy Speaker, I will represent the legitimate voices of the opposition, but will also maintain balance between the parties to ensure the National Assembly does not stall due to unilateral actions or extreme confrontation."

With the election of the presiding officers, the ruling and opposition parties are expected to begin earnest negotiations over the composition of the Assembly’s standing committees for the second half of the term.

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