The People Power Party (PPP) protested on Monday after the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) pushed through the selection of 11 standing committee chairs, including the chair of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, declaring it "will not accept any standing committee."
After holding another emergency general meeting of lawmakers that day, Floor Leader Chung Jum-sik told reporters, "Take all the standing committees and run the National Assembly however the Democratic Party pleases." He added, "We can never accept a 'closed-door decision' that tells the minority opposition party to take whatever is left over or not, as it sees fit."
"From now on, all responsibility for state administration falls solely on the Democratic Party," Chung said. "All of our party members will submit resignations regarding the standing committees forcibly assigned to us." He continued, "Since we have made clear our opposition to the (Han Seong-sook) prime minister confirmation motion, we intend not to participate in the vote." The PPP plans to hold a general meeting of lawmakers on June 2 to discuss its struggle strategy.
Earlier, Chung, Senior Deputy Floor Leader Kim Seung-soo, and lawmakers serving three or more terms—including Cho Bae-sook, Park Deok-hyum, Kim Seok-ki, Lee Man-hee, Lim E-ja, Yoo Eui-dong, and Kwon Young-se—visited Speaker Cho after the emergency general meeting to protest the holding of the plenary session without consultation between the ruling and opposition parties.
The PPP then moved to the plenary chamber, protested the DPK's selection of standing committee chairs, and walked out without participating in the vote. They held picket protests in front of the speaker's seat, carrying signs reading "Stop the Democratic Party's Attempt to Monopolize Standing Committees" and "The National Assembly's Reckless Committee Formation Is Democratic Party-Style Public Intimidation."
