Six-term ruling party lawmaker expected to become Assembly speaker

Rep. Moon Hee-sang, left, receives a bouquet from Democratic Party of Korea Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae after being nominated as a candidate for the National Assembly speaker, Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Choi Ha-young

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) nominated six-term lawmaker Moon Hee-sang,Wednesday, as its candidate for speaker of the National Assembly, who is expected to be chosen on May 24.

Rep. Moon received support from 67 of 116 DPK lawmakers who participated in the voting, defeating Rep. Park Byeong-seug, who gained 46 votes.

It is highly anticipated that Moon will succeed Chung Sye-kyun as Assembly speaker because the candidate from the biggest party has customarily assumed the position. The ruling party has the largest number of lawmakers with 118. Chung's two-year term is scheduled to expire on May 29.

The Assembly is supposed to choose a speaker for the second half of the 20th Assembly at a plenary session on May 24. The Assembly should choose a successor at least five days before the end of the outgoing speaker's term, according law.

“The Assembly should be dynamic and energetic. The two pillars of the parliament ― the ruling and opposition parties ― should hold each other in check and make efforts for mutual growth and sound rivalry,” Rep. Moon said in a victory speech. “If lawmakers keep fighting, the Assembly will lose public credibility.”

The 73-year-old, a political heavyweight affiliated with the liberal party for decades, served as presidential secretary for two former Presidents, Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003) and Roh Moo-hyun (2003-2008).

Because of his longtime devotion to the party and nonpartisan leadership, he had often been appointed as an interim chief of the party when the party's fate was at stake.

After President Moon Jae-in took office in May last year, the lawmaker was dispatched to Japan as a special envoy, with a mission to mend the soured ties over the comfort women misunderstanding. Rep. Moon is also an uncle to actress Lee Ha-nee.

However, the May 24 plenary session could be delayed if the largest opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) boycotts the schedule. The 113-seat LKP has insisted that the election should be held after the by-elections in June, in hopes of becoming the majority party through overwhelming victories ― which is unlikely. The rival parties have sought the speaker post, which is in charge of arbitrating confrontations between ruling and opposition parties.