[National Assembly Advancement Act 2.0]④More Frequent, Less Noticed... Filibuster Reduced to a Ritual

Yonhap News

"A filibuster (unlimited debate) is the ultimate means for the opposition, but if it becomes routine and repetitive rather than special, won't people become weary of it?" (A senior opposition lawmaker)

There are growing concerns that the filibuster system, which was introduced by the National Assembly to foster a political culture of dialogue, compromise, and deliberation, is losing its significance. The filibuster has shifted from being a forum for policy debate to simply a formality.

Filibuster Has Become a Mere Ritual

The number of filibusters stood at 1 in 2016, none in 2017 and 2018, 2 in 2019, and 3 in 2020. The figures have climbed to 7 in 2024, 15 in 2025, and as of the end of September this year, already 12 cases. Since last year, filibusters have occurred roughly one to two times per month.

Recently, the process has become increasingly ritualized: (1) the ruling party pushes ahead with presenting a controversial bill at the plenary session of the National Assembly; (2) the opposition requests a filibuster; (3) the ruling party moves to end the filibuster; (4) the opposition carries out the filibuster; (5) the ruling party processes the motion to end the filibuster; and (6) the bill is passed. These steps have become routine, turning the filibuster into a mere passage of procedure.

Public interest has sharply declined. According to Naver Datalab, the combined search interest index over the seven days from each filibuster's start date since 2016 shows this trend clearly. For example, the filibuster over the Criminal Procedure Act amendment last July scored just 1.62. This is in stark contrast to the 119.39 index for the 2020 filibusters on the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Act and the National Intelligence Service Act.

However, media coverage remained largely constant. According to BIG KINDS, a news analysis portal operated by the Korea Press Foundation, the number of articles in major newspapers (including general, financial, and regional newspapers), broadcasting stations, and online news outlets on the day following each filibuster were 219 for the Criminal Procedure Act and 296 for the Corruption Investigation Office and National Intelligence Service Acts.

Concerns on Both Sides... Original Spirit Should Be Revisited

A first-term opposition lawmaker stated, "In principle, it is right to use a filibuster on issues where a final agreement has not been reached, but since the ruling party pushes forward with all bills without consultation, we have no other choice." The ruling party proposed a National Assembly Act amendment to stop filibusters when less than one fifth (60 members) of the assembly attend the plenary session, but there is criticism that this infringes on the minority parties' right to block legislation.

Under these circumstances, the 2016 filibuster on the Anti-Terrorism Act carries significant lessons for both parties. At that time, the Democratic Party, then the opposition, carried out a nine-day filibuster, which shifted public opinion. Realmeter reported that support for the opposition's stance rose from 42% (on the 24th) to 49% (on the 26th).

A lawmaker from the People Power Party insisted, "We must fix the current situation, where the ruling party uses satellite parties to limit filibuster duration to 24 hours." Another senior opposition lawmaker added, "The opposition should stop using the filibuster as a stalling tactic and instead find strategic ways to appeal to the public through both content and messaging."

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