New National Assembly speaker elected despite PPP boycott

Rep. Woo Won-shik of the liberal Democratic Party (DP) was elected speaker of the new National Assembly on Wednesday amid a boycott by lawmakers from the conservative People Power Party (PPP).

Rep. Woo Won-shik delivers his first remarks as National Assembly speaker following his election during the legislature's opening session on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Rep. Woo Won-shik of the liberal Democratic Party (DP) was elected speaker of the new National Assembly on Wednesday amid a boycott by lawmakers from the conservative People Power Party (PPP).

Wednesday’s plenary session was the first opening session of a new National Assembly to take place in the absence of lawmakers from the party aligned with the government.

Woo, a five-term lawmaker chosen by DP members last month as their preferred candidate for the speaker position, was elected with the support of 189 out of 192 lawmakers present for the first plenary session of the 22nd National Assembly.

He is expected to serve through the first half of the new legislature’s four-year term.

Although the speaker is expected to remain neutral and serve as a moderator to enable compromise when the major political parties cannot find common ground, the post is usually filled by the party with the most legislative seats.

Four-term lawmaker Lee Hak-young was also elected as one of the legislature’s vice speakers at Wednesday’s meeting.

Although the other vice speaker post is usually filled by the next-largest party in the National Assembly, the position remained unfilled on Wednesday after PPP lawmakers boycotted the opening session of the new parliament.

The two main parties are currently at an impasse over who should chair the legislature’s 18 standing committees, particularly the powerful Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which approves bills for a floor vote.

PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho made a brief appearance at Wednesday’s opening session, but only to tell lawmakers gathered at the legislature that the session was “neither constitutional nor legal because there is no bipartisan agreement on the [parliamentary] agenda.”

Speaking to reporters after meeting with DP floor leader Park Chan-dae earlier in the day, Choo said the rival parties were “unable to narrow their differences” but would “continue to engage in dialogue” until Friday’s legal deadline for finalizing committee appointments.

According to sources, the DP has demanded the chairmanship of not only the Legislation and Judiciary Committee but also the House Steering Committee, which customarily goes to the party aligned with the government, and the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, which handles media and news industry issues.

Observers believe the DP has increased the number of key committee chairmanships it seeks to hold in light of its expanded 175-seat majority in the National Assembly compared to the PPP, which won just 108 seats in the April 10 general election.

DP Reps. Yun Ho-jung and Park Kwang-on served as chairs of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee during the first half of the previous 21st National Assembly, while PPP Rep. Kim Do-eup took up the post in the second half.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]