Opening ceremony of 22nd National Assembly held in absence of President

Lawmakers of the 22nd National Assembly clap their hands after taking a group photo during its opening ceremony in front of the National Assembly on September 2. Courtesy of the National Assembly

The National Assembly opened its 22nd session on September 2 in the absence of President Yoon Suk-yeol. It was the latest opening ceremony in history and the only one without a presidential speech since Korea’s democratization in 1987. The opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), protested by calling it “ignoring the people,” while the ruling party argued, "Can the DPK blame the president?" Even in the regular session of the National Assembly, the ruling and opposition parties' cooperation seems to be difficult.

The opening ceremony of the 22nd National Assembly and this year's regular session on Monday. The opening has been delayed since July, when President Yoon announced his intention to boycott the ceremony in response to the opposition's impeachment petition against him. Following the judgment of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik that the opening ceremony cannot be postponed after the regular session of the National Assembly, the opening ceremony was held in time for that of the regular session.

Previously, the latest opening ceremony was on July 16, the eve of Constitution Day, during the 21st National Assembly. This time, it was 47 days later than that. It will be 95 days from May 30, the start of the 22nd National Assembly's term.

Since the country’s democratization in 1987, the presidents have delivered an opening speech at all the opening ceremonies of the National Assembly, but this time, there was only Woo's opening remarks. “We are having a belated opening ceremony with the start of the regular session. I feel a heavy responsibility as Speaker,” Woo said. “There was a meeting between the leaders of the ruling and the main opposition parties for a change, and itwould have been nice for the people if the president attended the ceremony.” He emphasized to the government, "We cannot achieve results in state administration without respecting the National Assembly."

Regarding the medical disruption, Woo said, "It is true that the pace of deterioration at hospitals is fast. The government should go into the field and find a solution.” He also suggested to Yoon that the constitutional reform be pushed forward by holding a national referendum before local elections in 2026.

The opposition strongly criticized Yoon's absence. “(The president) insists on normalizing the National Assembly, but it is the president himself who should normalize it,” Lee Eon-joo, a member of the DPK, said at a Supreme Council meeting. Heo Eun-ah, the leader of the Reform Party, said at a Supreme Council meeting that it was “a declaration of relinquishing his responsibility as the president.”

The ruling People's Power Party (PPP) put the blame on the opposition. PPP lawmaker Kim Min-jeon said at the Supreme Council meeting, “(The DPK) called for (the president) to resign at various impeachment protests, and DPK member Jeon Hyun-heui shouted 'Kim keon-hee is a murderer.' If they want to be respected by the administration, they should act in a respectful manner.”

Many are skeptical about whether the ruling and opposition parties will be able to overcome the extreme confrontation at the regular session of the National Assembly, which will be held until December 10.

A case in point is the "two special counsel investigations and four parliamentary probes,” which the opposition parties is pursuing over major issues, including a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the death of Marine Corps Corporal Chae Su-geun and a special counsel investigation on First Lady Kim Keon-hee.

Other factors that could make cooperation difficult include the medical disruption that the Chuseok holiday is at its peak, the first trial verdict against the DPK leader Lee Jae-myung, the prosecution’s investigation into former President Moon Jae-in, and the conflict between President Yoon Suk-yeol and PPP leader Han Dong-hoon.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.