ED Unilateralism has no place in Assembly

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers cast their votes to elect chairs of legislative standing committees at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The National Assembly under its new speaker, Cho Jeong-sik, is demonstrating a new aspect of unilateralism. Cho accepted the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) call to hold a plenary meeting on Tuesday. DPK lawmakers were decided to lead 11 standing committees, including the vital Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) rejected their committees placements, assigned by the Speaker. The chairs of the seven other standing committees remained vacant, which should be filled through parties' discussions and negotiations. The ruling party holds the majority, but the Assembly is not a place where unilateralism should take hold.

This is not the first time the DPK has acted unilaterally. However, the Speaker using his authority although based on a law governing National Assembly to assign committees to PPP legislators is rare, even as the PPP moved slow on it.

All these developments do not bode well for the legislative body. It is also regrettable that a member of the opposition party was not appointed to lead the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, as has been customary in the past. The committee is where all proposed bills must secure final approval before being put forward in the plenary.

The DPK should use its majority power to reach out to the opposition. In that regard, the new speaker's unilateral committee assignment to PPP members and a lack of attempt to mediate between the two parties indicate a disregard for parliamentary courtesy. To be fair, Cho's leadership is still in the early stages and the deadline for committee member submissions had already passed. But in Korea's highly polarized politics, the speaker holds a unique position to command and implement legislative actions effectively, a responsibility we hope Cho will bear in mind.

The formation of the standing committees had stalled for about a month, following the June 3 local elections. It should have happened earlier. But the DPK is also reportedly advancing plans to shorten the time allotted for filibusters, which are an important tool for an opposition party, and to further expedite the passage of fast-tracked bills. The party's insistence on doing things as it sees fit is a disregard for voter sentiment following the recent local election, as evidenced by the DPK's loss in crucial electoral races, particularly in Seoul. The DPK should know that it should be able to transcend the numerical majority on the floor and translate it to a compelling narrative for voters.

Approval ratings for the DPK have also been overtaken by public support for the PPP. A recent Realmeter poll announced Monday showed the DPK earning a 41 percent approval rating, pitted closely against the PPP's 42 percent. While the figure may not say much on the surface, it is a telltale sign that voters are now focusing on the actual performance of the DPK and the PPP rather than the lingering criticisms against the political crisis triggered by the 2024 martial law crisis of the opposition party's former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The PPP, for its part, should not waste this opportunity to restore the reputation of the conservative party. The beleaguered PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok's continued resistance to internal reform, including a change in leadership, may well be one of the biggest hurdles facing the party. A public figure is often an embodiment of both personal ambition, drive and capability as well as public vision. A timely decision on what to let go among these goals will prove critical to the personal and public success of Jang and the PPP.