On the 9th, the last day of this year's regular session, the plenary meeting ended amid controversy when National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik stopped a filibuster by People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won (an unlimited debate used to legally obstruct proceedings). The speaker's office said it "acted under the National Assembly Act," while political circles said it "ignored the Assembly's precedents."
◇ Speaker forcibly halts filibuster… first time in 61 years
During the plenary meeting, Na Kyung-won said, "Withdraw the five 'laws of judicial destruction' and the three 'gag laws.' Conduct a parliamentary probe into the decision not to appeal the Daejang-dong case." Woo responded, "Please speak within the agenda," cut off Na's remarks, and eventually turned off the microphone.
Even afterward, whenever Na began to speak, the microphone was turned off again. People Power Party lawmaker Gwak Gyu-taek stood next to Na holding a placard that read, "People, the speaker is turning off the microphone to obstruct a legitimate unlimited debate."
The last time a speaker halted a lawmaker's filibuster was Apr. 20, 1964, when then-Speaker Lee Hyo-sang cut the microphone of lawmaker Kim Dae-jung. The same situation unfolded for the first time in 61 years.
◇ Speaker's office: "We blocked remarks unrelated to the agenda"… "Nine years ago, the Democratic Party didn't do that"
The speaker's office said Woo Won-shik "acted under Article 102 of the National Assembly Act." Citing the clause that says "members shall not speak on matters unrelated to the agenda or in a manner inconsistent with the nature of speech," the office argued that Woo turned off Na's microphone to block her remarks and therefore did nothing unlawful.
But political circles say Woo Won-shik's halting of the filibuster "ignored Korea's parliamentary precedents."
When the Democratic Party was the opposition in 2016, National Assembly Vice Speaker Lee Seok-hyun, a Democratic Party member, applied Article 102 of the National Assembly Act differently. When Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Kyung-hyup conducted a filibuster against the anti-terrorism bill, Saenuri Party lawmaker Cho Eun-hee raised an objection.
Vice Speaker Lee said, "Article 102 of the National Assembly Act provides that one may not speak outside the agenda, but there is no rule or legal provision that specifically identifies what is within the agenda and what is outside it." When Cho called it "biased management," Lee allowed Kim Kyung-hyup's filibuster to proceed.
This time, Na Kyung-won said, "In conducting a filibuster, even when reading parts of the Constitution unrelated to the agenda, no speaker has restrained or warned me," adding, "Woo Won-shik is essentially trying to exclude the People Power Party's filibuster from the outset."
In fact, during the 2016 anti-terrorism filibuster, lawmaker Choi Min-hee recited the preamble of the Constitution, and former lawmaker Kang Gi-jung sang "March for the Beloved." A senior Democratic lawmaker's aide also said, "I've never seen a speaker turn off the microphone during a filibuster while telling a member not to speak outside the agenda," adding, "Even if people won't say it openly, there won't be lawmakers or aides who agree with the speaker's office."
Some in politics also say, "Speaker Woo Won-shik may have had a political calculus in forcibly stopping the filibuster." Rumors are widespread in political circles that Woo hopes to become prime minister after finishing the first half of his speakership next year. To that end, the argument goes, he may be taking the risky step of forcibly stopping the opposition's filibuster to make an impression on the ruling bloc's hard-line base.
Recently, Woo appeared on the pro-ruling YouTube program "Kim Ou-joon's News Factory: Humility Is Difficult." He also served as a guide at the Dec. 3 dark tour held at the National Assembly to mark the first anniversary of the Dec. 3 martial-law incident. One politician said, "It's a sight rarely seen in past speakers."