National Assembly set to normalize as ruling, opposition parties brace for fresh clashes

After the ruling and opposition parties reached a surprise agreement on how to recommend a special prosecutor to investigate what has been called the "June 3 local election ballot incident," the second-half National Assembly — which had been in disarray for more than 50 days — moved to normalize operations.

Even after the committee structure is finalized, however, head-on clashes between the two sides are expected to continue over major issues including the abolition of supplementary investigation rights, real estate taxation and leveraged ETFs (exchange-traded funds).

According to political sources Wednesday, the Democratic Party of Korea plans to push through key economic and livelihood legislation by year's end, including a special act on mega special zones to support three major mega-projects and a strategic export finance support law.

The party expects that once major economy-related standing committees — including the Industry, Trade, SMEs and Venture Committee and the Land and Transportation Committee, which had been reserved for the opposition — begin operating in earnest, the review and passage of bills will move more quickly.

Concerns within the party over abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights are growing, however, and the issue is expected to cause considerable internal friction before any conclusion is reached.

Acting party leader and floor leader Han Byung-do said at the supreme council meeting Wednesday that "differences in detailed views must not be allowed to shake the principle of separating investigation from indictment, or become a means of reviving prosecutors' investigative powers." He added, "The Democratic Party will make the right to request supplementary investigation substantive and hold investigative agencies clearly accountable for fulfilling those requests swiftly and faithfully. It is now time to unite the party's collective will."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party finalized its plan to fill all seven of its standing committee chair slots in the second half of the Assembly with three-term lawmakers. The party plans to confirm the final candidates at a general membership meeting Thursday morning, then proceed with the election through a plenary session the same day.

Among those recommended: Rep. Lee Man-hee for chair of the Health and Welfare Committee, Rep. Kim Seong-won for the Industry, Trade, SMEs and Venture Committee, Rep. Kim Hee-jeong for the Education Committee, and Rep. Im I-ja for the Gender Equality and Family Committee. The Land and Transportation Committee chair and the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee chair will be split between Reps. Kim Jeong-jae and Song Seok-jun, each serving one year. Rep. Lee Yang-su was recommended for the Intelligence Committee.

Some uncertainty remains, however. Several four-term lawmakers — including Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo and Yoo Eui-dong — who have not previously chaired a standing committee are said to be seeking one of the posts. PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik, speaking to reporters at the Assembly, shrugged off those claims, saying he could not easily sympathize with the argument that "I couldn't do it as a three-term lawmaker, so I should get to do it as a four-term one."

Confrontation between the two parties is expected to persist even after the committee structure is settled. The PPP has already introduced a bill to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure, making the preservation of supplementary investigation rights its official party position. Floor leader Jeong, speaking after a general membership meeting Tuesday, said he "cannot accept" the Democratic Party's unilateral move to take the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair, but confirmed the party had approved a return to the Assembly.