Parliamentary Organization Stalemate: Ruling Party Says "We Will Start First," Opposition Declares "No More Cooperation"

The Speaker of the National Assembly's final ultimatum deadline regarding the organization of the second half of the 22nd National Assembly has passed, but tensions between the ruling and opposition parties continue. The Democratic Party has unveiled its plan to independently finalize the parliamentary organization by the end of June, which is just one day away. The People Power Party, on the other hand, has drawn a line in the sand, declaring, "There will be no more (political) begging."

Byungdo Han, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of June 29, "The Democratic Party will take the initiative to activate the National Assembly. All lawmakers will be on emergency standby until tomorrow to prepare for the organization," adding, "We will finish this within the month and deliver legislative results for the people's livelihood."

Jung Jung-sik, Speaker of the National Assembly (center), is meeting with Han Byungdo, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (left), and Chung Jeongsik, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, at the National Assembly office on June 22, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

The two parties have held 11 rounds of negotiations but have failed to reach an agreement. They have engaged in a tug-of-war with no concessions over which party will chair the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the main sticking point. Speaker Jung Joongsik has repeatedly requested the submission of the list of standing committee members by today, but the opposition party has not complied.

According to the current National Assembly Act, the representative of a negotiation group must request the appointment of standing committee members from the Speaker at least three days before the expiration of their term. If there is no request by this deadline, the Speaker is empowered to appoint the members.

Kang Junhyeon, Senior Spokesperson of the Democratic Party, told reporters on this day, "We will no longer plead for the submission of the list. It is the People Power Party that has ultimately rejected even the deadline set by the Speaker," adding, "We will push for normalization of the National Assembly according to the procedures set by the law." The ruling party has already requested the Speaker to appoint the standing committee members.

The ruling party's specific response strategy is likely to be decided later this afternoon. The Democratic Party plans to hold a general meeting to discuss its strategy and approach for parliamentary organization. With a stable majority of 161 seats, and considering the additional friendly seats within the broader ruling bloc, the Democratic Party could elect all 18 standing committee chairs. Alternatively, taking into account the party ratio, it may choose to elect the 11 committee chairs allocated to the ruling party—including the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee—first, effectively beginning parliamentary operations.

No matter which approach is chosen, the political situation is expected to remain frozen. It is also notable that, since the June 3 local elections, Yeouido politics has been shifting from cooperation to confrontation. For the time being, discord within the National Assembly appears inevitable.

Jungsik Jeong, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, commented the previous day on the ruling party's push for the parliamentary organization, saying, "We have notified the government and the ruling party that no cooperation can be expected in a National Assembly where respect for the opposition has collapsed." The People Power Party also plans to hold a general meeting this afternoon to discuss their strategy for countering the ruling party's unilateral moves within the Assembly.

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