Lee Hyang-gi elected deputy speaker
The Suncheon City Council elected Yu Young-cheol, 60, a two-term lawmaker, as speaker for the first half of its 10th term and Lee Hyang-gi as deputy speaker at the first plenary session of its 296th extraordinary session on Tuesday.
In the speaker vote, Democratic Party lawmaker Yu received 19 votes, defeating Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Lee Bok-nam, who received five votes with one abstention, to win the speakership for the first half of the 10th council term. Lee Hyang-gi was elected deputy speaker.
The Suncheon City Council has 25 seated members — 19 from the Democratic Party, two from the Rebuilding Korea Party, two from the Progressive Party and two independents. People Power Party lawmaker Lee Se-eun did not run.
In his acceptance remarks, newly elected Speaker Yu said he would "build a council where all 25 lawmakers work as one and establish a culture of cooperative governance." He added that he would "expand professional education for lawmakers and policy research to create a council that studies, while cooperating with the executive branch but faithfully carrying out the council's core role of checks and oversight."
parkds@heraldcorp.com
