22nd National Assembly begins with intense partisan divisions

Seen above is the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday, when the 22nd Assembly began its term. Partisan conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties are expected to intensify in the Assembly as the majority-holding opposition parties are set to flex their muscles to push through contentious bills, while the ruling party is set to resist via its ever-increasing reliance on presidential veto power. Yonhap

The 22nd National Assembly started its four-year term, Thursday, with opposition parties that hold a significant majority — 192 out of 300 seats — mounting pressure on the ruling People Power Party (PPP) with just 108 seats, right rom the outset.

Taking advantage of this dominance, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), with 175 seats under its control, is set to push ahead with contentious bills. These include a special counsel probe bill regarding a Marine’s death that was recently vetoed by Yoon, signaling the onset of serious partisan conflicts at the beginning of the term.

The first plenary session of the 22nd Assembly will be held next Wednesday, during which lawmakers will elect the speaker and two deputy speakers. Following the tradition of the largest party nominating the sole candidate for the speaker, the DPK has recommended Rep. Woo Won-shik as its candidate.

It remains uncertain when the 22nd Assembly will hold an official opening ceremony. While the ceremony is traditionally held after lawmakers finish naming committee chairs, the two major rival parties are still butting heads over how many committees they will head.

Among 18 committees in the Assembly, the DPK claims at least 11 should be headed by its lawmakers, while the PPP insists on taking the head position for the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which plays a gatekeeping role before tabling any bills at a plenary session.

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae, center, is seen writing something during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

The partisan conflicts between the ruling and opposition blocs are expected to continue and intensify in the new Assembly.

The DPK reintroduced the bill to initiate a special counsel probe into the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun. Chae was killed during a search mission for victims of heavy downpours in July 2023. This bill marks the first legislative proposal unanimously endorsed by all party members in the new Assembly. The bill, which aims to look into suspicions that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration influenced the military’s investigation into the death, was vetoed by Yoon on May 21 and eventually scrapped in the previous Assembly on Tuesday after it failed to get enough approvals during a re-vote.

Including the special counsel probe bill, the DPK seeks to table all 14 bills Yoon rejected earlier. A day earlier, Yoon vetoed four contentious bills, including one requiring the government to support victims of home rental scams.

“Yesterday, which was the last day of the 21st Assembly, the president used the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th vetoes,” DPK floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae said Thursday.

“The president and the ruling party, characterized by arrogance and a lack of communication, are severely infringing upon the legislative powers of the National Assembly and threatening the principle of the separation of powers… The DPK will by any means pass the bills that the president indiscriminately rejected.”

The ruling PPP refuted that the vetoes were “a necessary defense for Yoon to stand up against the DPK which is going out of control.”

“The bills Yoon rejected yesterday were 'bad laws' that have systematic loopholes and are not agreed on by the people,” PPP spokesperson Rep. Kim Meen-geon said.

“Based on partisan logic, the bills were driven by a populist approach and ignore the democratic order, thus justifying the president's use of his veto power.”

Minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party Chairman Rep. Cho Kuk enters the National Assembly's press center in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

The minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP), which was created just a month before the April 10 general elections but clinched 12 seats, pledged to put up what it described as a “tough fight” against those with vested rights.

“People say lawmakers should stop fighting at the National Assembly,” RKP Chairman Rep. Cho Kuk said during a press conference. “However, we will put up a tough fight for the people, not for those who have vested rights and powers.”

Meanwhile, the first bill submitted to the 22nd Assembly was a revision to the Act on Promotion of the Transportation Convenience for Mobility Disadvantaged Persons, proposed by DPK Rep. Seo Mi-hwa, a first-term lawmaker who joined the Assembly as a proportional representative.

The revision is aimed at guaranteeing disabled people access to all transportation methods that can be used by non-disabled persons.

Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Party of Korea submits a revision to the Act on Promotion of the Transportation Convenience for Mobility Disadvantaged Persons to a National Assembly official in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap