Floor leader Cheon Ha-ram of the Reform Party on the 16th finished an all-night filibuster (a lawful obstruction of proceedings through unlimited debate) to block the second comprehensive special counsel bill. After ending the filibuster, Cheon is scheduled to head straight to the Blue House to attend a luncheon meeting of ruling and opposition leaders presided over by President Lee Jae-myung.
Cheon ended the filibuster against the second comprehensive special counsel bill, which was placed on the plenary agenda under the lead of the Democratic Party of Korea, at about 10:35 a.m. on the 16th. Cheon's filibuster began at about 3:40 p.m. the previous day (the 15th) and lasted 18 hours and 56 minutes.
Cheon initially intended a "24-hour filibuster," but was unavoidably forced to end it due to a luncheon of ruling and opposition leaders presided over by the president at the Blue House that day. After finishing the filibuster, Cheon headed straight to the Blue House without taking a rest.
In the filibuster, Cheon said, "If today (the 16th) the president brought together party leaders, including party chairs and floor leaders, to exchange New Year 'deokdam' and create a moment of harmony, they should not have made us filibuster that day," and criticized, "The president said it was important to communicate and achieve unity with the opposition, but did they really have to handle the second comprehensive special counsel bill today?"
Cheon continued, "Looking at the president and the Democratic Party, they divided roles too obviously into 'good cop' and 'bad cop.' But even without coordinating the plenary schedule, there is no reflection even if I filibuster," and said, "Earlier, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok and Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok politely asked National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik to postpone it, but the ruling party did not respond."
At the Blue House luncheon, Cheon is expected to protest the "second comprehensive special counsel bill" being pushed through by the ruling party and to call for a "Unification Church special counsel." Cheon said, "At the luncheon, I will convey to the president what I said during the filibuster."