Rival parties fail to agree on parliamentary committee formation ahead of plenary meeting

Han Byung-do, the floor leader of the rulling Democratic Party of Korea, speaks to the press after talks with the main opposition People Power Party over the formation of the parliamentary standing committees at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The ruling and main opposition parties failed to reach an agreement Tuesday on the formation of the parliamentary standing committees for the second half of the National Assembly.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said it plans to unilaterally elect 11 parliamentary committee chiefs, including the chair of the legislation and judiciary committee, at a plenary session scheduled for 5 p.m.

The rival parties have been wrangling for weeks over how to distribute the parliamentary committee chairmanships, with the two sides remaining especially at loggerheads over who should chair the judiciary committee, a key Assembly panel that has the power to approve bills before they are put to a plenary vote.

DPK floor leader Han Byung-do and his main opposition People Power Party (PPP) counterpart, Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig, sat down for last-minute talks earlier in the day but failed to reach a compromise.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Jeong stressed that "checks and balances would be undermined" unless the PPP chairs the judiciary committee.

The DPK has the majority needed to unilaterally elect standing committee chiefs as it currently holds 161 out of 300 seats in the Assembly.