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

South Korea's ruling Democratic Party and main opposition People Power Party failed to reach an agreement on forming parliamentary standing committees, leading the DP to unilaterally elect committee chiefs and the PPP to boycott the plenary session. The dispute centers on the chairmanship of the judiciary committee, with the PPP claiming customary practice gives it to the second-largest party.

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 outlet · 5 articles Version 1 Coverage Jun 22–30, 2026 Published Aug 14

Lead

South Korea's ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) failed to reach an agreement on Tuesday on the formation of parliamentary standing committees for the second half of the National Assembly, prompting the DP to unilaterally proceed with electing committee chiefs and the PPP to boycott the plenary session.

The DP-controlled Assembly went on to elect the chiefs of 10 parliamentary standing committees and a special budget committee at a plenary session on Tuesday, as reported by Yonhap News. The move came after weeks of wrangling between the two parties over the distribution of committee chairmanships, with the dispute centering on who should chair the judiciary committee—a key panel that has the power to approve bills before they are put to a plenary vote.

The PPP criticized the DP's unilateral action, boycotted the plenary session, and vowed not to cooperate with the activation of the standing committees.

Coverage Comparison

All reports on this story come from Yonhap News, which provided consistent coverage of the events leading up to and including Tuesday's plenary session. The reports agree on the core facts: the rival parties failed to reach a compromise, the DP unilaterally recommended 11 committee chiefs, and the PPP protested the move.

One report noted that Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik had earlier told the rival parties to reach an agreement and submit their agreed list of nominees for the chairs of 18 standing committees, setting a deadline of noon Wednesday. Another report said the speaker had asked for the list by Monday noon, indicating a shifting timeline.

A report from June 30 stated that the PPP filed a document to the National Assembly in protest of Speaker Cho's appointment of PPP lawmakers as members of the respective committees. Another report noted that the PPP criticized the move and boycotted the plenary session.

Key Claims

The ruling Democratic Party has the majority needed to unilaterally elect standing committee chiefs, holding 161 out of 300 seats in the Assembly.
The main opposition People Power Party refused to submit nominees for committee chairs in protest of the DP's insistence on chairing the judiciary committee.
The DP unilaterally recommended 11 parliamentary committee chiefs, including the chair of the legislation and judiciary committee.
The PPP criticized the DP's move to unilaterally elect committee chiefs and vowed not to cooperate with the activation of the standing committees.
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik told the rival parties to reach an agreement and submit their agreed list of nominees for the chairs of 18 standing parliamentary committees.
The DP-controlled National Assembly elected the chiefs of 10 parliamentary standing committees and a special budget committee.
DP floor leader Han Byung-do and PPP counterpart Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig held last-minute talks but failed to reach a compromise.
The PPP claimed that it is customary for a lawmaker from the second-largest party to hold the chair of the judiciary committee.

Perspectives

Democratic Party (DP)

The DP, holding a majority, argued that it had the authority to proceed with forming the committees and completing the selection of committee chiefs. DP floor leader Han Byung-do vowed to complete the formation within the month, stating, "We will not drag on (the committee formation) past tomorrow." The DP insisted on chairing the judiciary committee, a position the PPP contested.

People Power Party (PPP)

The PPP refused to submit nominees for committee chairs, protesting the DP's insistence on chairing the judiciary committee. PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig argued that "checks and balances would be undermined" unless the PPP chairs the judiciary committee, and claimed that it is customary for a lawmaker from the second-largest party to hold that chair. The PPP filed a document to the National Assembly in protest and boycotted the plenary session, vowing not to cooperate with the activation of the standing committees.

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik

Speaker Cho urged both parties to reach an agreement, asking them to submit an agreed list of nominees. He stressed the urgency of normalizing the Assembly, stating, "I am making this request out of a sense of urgency as we cannot indefinitely delay the normalization of the National Assembly and must comply with the National Assembly Act."