The People Power Party criticized the operation of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee by Chairperson Choo Mi-ae. They pointed out that Chairperson Choo arbitrarily increased the number of subcommittees and did not accept requests from the People Power Party for commissioner assignments. The People Power Party plans to consider filing a complaint against Chairperson Choo with the National Assembly's Ethics Committee or boycotting the committee, citing disorder in the National Assembly.
Members of the People Power Party in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee visited the chairperson's office on the afternoon of the 1st to protest against Chairperson Choo's unilateral management of the committee. However, the meeting did not take place as Chairperson Choo was not present in the office.
Park Hyung-soo, the People Power Party's deputy representative in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, met with reporters after the protest visit and said, "Chairperson Choo thoroughly ignored the ongoing requests from the People Power Party to swap Commissioner Cho Bae-sook from the first subcommittee and Commissioner Joo Jin-woo from the second subcommittee," adding, "Rather, she appointed Representative Park Jun-tae as a subcommittee member arbitrarily. Currently, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is essentially 'Choo Mi-ae's world.'"
He explained, "Additionally, Chairperson Choo requested to recommend one Commissioner from the People Power Party after increasing the number of subcommittee members from 8 to 11, stating that it should be preceded by the exchange between Commissioner Cho and Commissioner Joo that had been previously requested."
Commissioner Park remarked, "The composition of the standing committee is entirely a matter for each party to decide, and even more so, the composition of subcommittee members within the standing committee is a clear issue that each party can determine arbitrarily within the given number," adding, "I cannot help but feel anger and dismay at the situation in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee where the longstanding democratic practices of the National Assembly are being thoroughly trampled."
He further emphasized, "Is the Legislation and Judiciary Committee under Chairperson Choo a tool to appeal to the hardline support base? The members of the People Power Party demand Chairperson Choo's immediate resignation from her position," insisting, "And Chairperson Choo should bow her head and apologize to the public for her arrogance and self-righteousness."
The increase in subcommittee members proposed by Chairperson Choo for the first subcommittee involves adding one member each from the Democratic Party, the People Power Party, and the Rebuilding Korea Party. Within the Rebuilding Korea Party, it is likely that Representative Park Eun-jung will join as a subcommittee member. The People Power Party criticized the increase in members from the Rebuilding Korea Party, saying, "This is effectively equivalent to the Democratic Party gaining two additional members."
Commissioner Park stated, "Commissioner Park said that Chairperson Choo was the person who served as the inspector when she was the Minister of Justice during the Moon Jae-in administration," adding, "It is clear that they are moving almost like one party in terms of policy, and I cannot agree to such an unreasonable composition."
The People Power Party is reviewing the possibility of filing a complaint with the Ethics Committee and boycotting the standing committee in response to Chairperson Choo's management of the committee.