Key facts
- South Korea's ruling Democratic Party and main opposition People Power Party (PPP) failed to reach an agreement on forming parliamentary standing committees.
- The Democratic Party, holding a majority with 161 out of 300 seats, intends to unilaterally elect 11 committee chiefs.
- The PPP argued that it should chair the legislation and judiciary committee to ensure checks and balances.
- Last-minute talks between the floor leaders of both parties did not result in a compromise.
SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- Rival political parties in South Korea failed on Tuesday to agree on the formation of parliamentary standing committees for the latter half of the National Assembly's term. The ruling Democratic Party (DP) announced its intention to proceed with the unilateral election of 11 committee chiefs, including the influential chair of the legislation and judiciary committee, during a plenary session scheduled for 5 p.m.
The dispute over committee chairmanships has been ongoing for weeks, with particular contention surrounding the judiciary committee, a crucial panel with the authority to approve bills before they reach a final vote. The PPP has argued that holding the judiciary committee chairmanship is essential for maintaining legislative checks and balances.
Despite last-minute talks between DP floor leader Han Byung-do and his PPP counterpart, Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig, no compromise was reached. The DP's majority in the 300-seat National Assembly, holding 161 seats, provides them with the numbers to push through their appointments.