People Power Party Holds Rally Against Ruling Party's Committee Push: "Admission of Unconstitutional Party, Death Sentence for Democracy"

"Threats Over Committee Formation...
Attempts to Push Through Special Prosecutor Bill for Dismissal of Indictments"

Amid ongoing difficulties in negotiations over the formation of the standing committees for the second half of the 22nd National Assembly, the People Power Party on June 29 demanded, "The Democratic Party must immediately return the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which is the last bastion of parliamentary democracy." They continued, "If the opposition is forced to merely play the role of an accessory to a dictatorship and a single-party authoritarian state is completed, then the National Assembly should rather be dissolved."

On the 29th, Jeong Jeongsik, floor leader of the People Power Party, along with other lawmakers, shouted slogans condemning the ruling party's forced formation of the parliamentary committees on the stairs of the Rotunda Hall at the National Assembly.

Jeong Jeongsik, floor leader of the People Power Party, along with other party lawmakers, held a protest rally on the steps in front of the Rotunda Hall at the main building of the National Assembly that afternoon, making these assertions. Assemblywoman Na Kyungwon, speaking at the rally, pointed out that the Democratic Party's attempt to hold onto the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee for the second half of the term was motivated, among other reasons, by "the desire to complete the law for the cancellation of indictments through special prosecution" and "the intention to pass various harmful bills through the National Assembly without any brakes."

Assemblywoman Na stated, "The chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee holds a crucial position as a barrier against parliamentary dictatorship in South Korea," and added, "It is the minimum safeguard that allows the opposition party to fulfill its role." She continued, "Therefore, the position of chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee cannot be subject to compromise," insisting, "The Democratic Party must return the chairmanship in accordance with parliamentary custom."

Assemblywoman Na further argued, "If the Democratic Party does not return the chairmanship, it is effectively admitting that it is an unconstitutional party that is willing to abandon and destroy parliamentary democracy." She added, "If the Democratic Party insists on holding onto the chairmanship and thereby declares that it is giving up on being a true parliament and instead becoming a henchman of power, this would be a death sentence for South Korean democracy."

Assemblyman Park Hyungsoo said, "The Democratic Party says, 'We will take the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, we will take the key standing committees, such as the Political Affairs Committee and the Steering Committee, and the People Power Party should just accept whatever is given.' Otherwise, they say they will take everything." He emphasized, "This is not a negotiation over the formation of parliamentary committees, but blackmail." He also stated, "Their real intention in trying to hold onto the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is to push through the bill for the cancellation of indictments through special prosecution."

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