The full meeting of the National Assembly's Science and ICT Committee, held to conduct the personnel hearing for Bae Gyeong-hun, the Minister candidate for the Ministry of Science and ICT, adjourned on the 14th before it even began.
On that day, lawmakers from the People Power Party, who are members of the Science and ICT Committee, caused a commotion by sticking a sign saying "Choi Min-hee, out(OUT); Lee Jae-myung, cooperate" on their laptops during the full meeting. Chairperson Choi Min-hee of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee said, "Today is the day for the hearing of Minister Bae Gyeong-hun," and added, "Remove all the signs; I will give you time after the hearing ends." She continued, "If a lawmaker disturbs the order of the meeting room by violating the law or National Assembly rules during a plenary session or committee meeting, the Chairperson or the Commissioner can issue a warning or take measures." She also requested the cooperation of the opposition party's secretary, Commissioner Choi Hyung-doo from the People Power Party, to facilitate a smooth proceeding.
Chairperson Choi proclaimed the adjournment citing Article 145 of the National Assembly Act regarding maintaining order. He stated, "For lawmakers who do not comply with the measures in paragraph 1, the Chairperson or the Commissioner can prohibit them from speaking during that day's meeting or expel them" and added, "The Chairperson or the Commissioner can suspend the meeting or proclaim the adjournment if they recognize that it is difficult to maintain order due to disturbances in the meeting room."
According to Article 74 of the National Assembly Act, a meeting cannot be reconvened on the same day after an adjournment is proclaimed. However, Chairperson Choi's proclamation of adjournment was made before the meeting began, rendering it null. Chairperson Choi's side explained through a media announcement after the adjournment that "the hearing for the Ministry of Science and ICT Minister candidate today has not yet opened as the order in the meeting room is disordered" and added, "The Chairperson plans to open the meeting once the order in the meeting room is restored."