People Power Party returns to National Assembly, sets stage for committee battles

The People Power Party is returning to the National Assembly, using an agreement on a special prosecutor act targeting the National Election Commission as its justification. The party is also moving to wrap up the formation of the Assembly's committee structure, though clashes with the Democratic Party over contentious legislation are expected to continue.

Political sources said Wednesday the PPP has selected three-term lawmakers for all seven of its standing committee chair nominations in the second half of the 22nd National Assembly. The party plans to confirm the nominees at a caucus Thursday before holding a formal election at a plenary session.

The nominees include Rep. Lee Man-hee for the Health and Welfare Committee chair, Rep. Kim Seong-won for the Industry, Trade, Resources, SMEs and Venture Committee chair, Rep. Kim Hee-jeong for the Education Committee chair, and Rep. Im I-ja for the Gender Equality and Family Committee chair.

Reps. Kim Jeong-jae and Song Seok-jun will split the Land and Infrastructure Committee chair and the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee chair, each serving one year, with the order to be decided later. Rep. Lee Yang-su was nominated for the Intelligence Committee chair. The two parties are also discussing an arrangement under which each side would hold the Intelligence Committee chair for one year, after which the PPP would take the Agriculture, Food, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Committee chair for the remainder of the term.

Some uncertainty remains. A number of four-term lawmakers — including Ahn Cheol-soo and Rep. Yoo Eui-dong — who were passed over for committee chairs have expressed interest in the posts. Ahn is reportedly eyeing the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee chair, while Yoo is considering the Land and Infrastructure Committee chair.

Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik shrugged off the possibility of a primary when he met reporters at the National Assembly Wednesday morning. "Some couldn't take a chair when they were three-termers because they deferred to their sunbae or because they were running for party leader," he said. "It's hard to sympathize with the argument that someone should get the post now as a four-termer just because they missed out as a three-termer."

Even after the committee structure is finalized, the confrontation between the two parties is expected to persist. While the PPP is returning to standing committees, it continues to push back against the Democratic Party's move to claim the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair.

The Legislation and Judiciary Committee faces an immediate test: it must take up a proposed amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that would abolish prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers. The PPP has made retaining those powers its official party position and has submitted its own competing amendment. Speaking after Tuesday's caucus, floor leader Jeong said he "cannot accept" the Democratic Party's unilateral seizure of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, but added that the party had endorsed the return to the Assembly.

In the House Steering Committee, a proposed revision to the National Assembly Act is drawing fire. The bill would tighten the requirements for a filibuster and shorten the review period for fast-track legislation — changes the PPP opposes, arguing they would weaken its ability to check the opposition.

Further battles are expected in the National Defense Committee over the transfer of wartime operational control and the establishment of a unified military academy merging the Army, Navy and Air Force academies. The two parties are also set to clash over real estate and other tax reforms before the Finance and Economy Planning Committee, as well as over a proposed special act on mega special economic zones before the Industry, Trade, Resources, SMEs and Venture Committee.