Parties Clash Over Assembly Lineup, Election Probe; No Agreement Reached

Rival South Korean political parties remain at an impasse over the formation of the latter half of the 22nd National Assembly and a proposed national inquiry into ballot paper shortages. A meeting between floor leaders on the 15th failed to yield any consensus on these critical issues.

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Regarding the national inquiry, we exchanged opinions on the issue of committee chairperson selection and the ratio of committee member allocation, but we did not reach a specific conclusion.

The Democratic Party and the People Power Party are locked in a dispute over committee chairmanships. Both parties assert their right to lead the powerful Legislation and Judiciary Committee, as well as key economic standing committees. This disagreement is a primary obstacle to convening a plenary session of the Assembly, which was ideally planned for the 18th.

Discussions also touched upon the composition of a potential national inquiry committee. However, the parties could not agree on the specifics, including the allocation of committee seats or the selection of its chairperson. The issue stems from a shortage of ballot papers during the recent June 3 local elections, which has raised concerns about electoral integrity.

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We discussed holding the plenary session as quickly as possible on the 18th, processing these matters together then.

Despite the lack of agreement, both sides acknowledged the need for swift resolution. The Democratic Party's floor operations deputy leader, Chun Jun-ho, expressed a desire to finalize these matters quickly to allow for the planned plenary session. However, the fundamental differences in their committee leadership demands suggest that further negotiations will be necessary.

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Regarding the formation of the Assembly, we talked again to confirm each other's positions. Our party and the People Power Party both hold the position that we must take charge of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.