“A National Assembly that Works” at the Forefront... Speaker Cho Jung-sik Vows to Fast-Track Public Welfare and Reform Legislation

First Press Conference Since Taking Office

On July 28, Speaker of the National Assembly Cho Jung-sik identified constitutional amendment, future industry legislation, and the strengthening of parliamentary diplomacy as key tasks for the latter half of the 22nd National Assembly, placing emphasis on building a “National Assembly that works.”

Cho Jung-sik, Speaker of the National Assembly. Photo by Yonhap News Agency Parliamentary Photojournalists Group

On this day, Speaker Cho held his first press conference since taking office at Sarangjae within the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. He stated, “I apologize on behalf of the National Assembly for the delayed formation of the parliamentary leadership, which exceeded the deadline established by the National Assembly Act,” and pledged to “make up for the time lost in the formation process by working all the harder moving forward.”

As a top priority, Cho promised to process the amendments to the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality—declared partly unconstitutional—by the end of August. He also emphasized, “Bills raised to the plenary session will be handled promptly, and as a rule, any bills that have passed both the standing committees and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and arrive at the plenary session will be processed within the same session.”

For the second half of the National Assembly, he unveiled the slogan, “A National Assembly Opening the Future with the People.” The plan is to create a parliament that effectively responds to complex crises such as the climate crisis, artificial intelligence (AI) advancements, changes in the international order, and polarization.

To this end, he announced four major visions: ▲A National Assembly of Sovereignty of the People ▲A National Assembly for Public Welfare Effectiveness ▲A National Assembly for Future Advancement ▲A National Assembly for National Interest Diplomacy.

In the area of the people’s sovereignty, he set forth the establishment of a “Day of Sovereignty of the People” and constitutional amendment discussions as central goals. He plans to launch a Presidential Constitutional Amendment Advisory Committee under the direct supervision of the Speaker, and to form a special bipartisan committee on constitutional amendment, with full-scale discussions to commence from next year. He also announced the construction of a digital platform enabling direct public participation.

For public welfare, he promised to formalize regular plenary sessions, designate “Public Welfare Legislation Processing Weeks,” and activate a public welfare legislative consultation body agreed upon by both ruling and opposition parties. He also outlined plans for systematic legislation regarding basic social rights such as care, education, and housing.

As strategies for future growth, Cho stated that support legislation for advanced industries—including AI, semiconductors, biotechnology, and K-culture—will be completed in a timely manner. Furthermore, he announced the launch of the “Economic Leap Committee,” which will involve both the National Assembly and the business sector. Additional commitments were made to continue national balanced development projects such as the construction of the National Assembly Sejong Hall, processing of the Special Act on Administrative Capital, and the establishment of a Gwangju branch of the National Assembly Library.

In the field of diplomacy, he said parliamentary diplomacy will be strengthened by centering on the National Assembly’s Office of Diplomatic and Security Affairs and the National Interest Diplomacy Advisory Committee. He also expressed a patient commitment to pursue inter-Korean parliamentary talks, as proposed on Constitution Day.

Speaker Cho stated, “While I will place dialogue and compromise at the highest priority, I will make sure that the affairs of state are never paralyzed by political strife. I intend to be a speaker who mediates while always making decisions on behalf of the people.”

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