The Democratic Party of Korea elected Rep. Cho Jung-sik as its candidate for speaker of the 22nd National Assembly for the latter half and Rep. Nam In-soon as its candidate for deputy speaker. The slate chosen that day is expected to be elected speaker and deputy speaker for the latter half after a floor vote on the 20th.
The Democratic Party held a general meeting of lawmakers on the 13th to elect the National Assembly leadership. In accordance with the party constitution and rules, the vote tally was not disclosed, but Cho secured a majority and was chosen as the speaker candidate without a runoff.
Through his policy address, Cho said, "In the latter half, the National Assembly must complete a grand transition together with a functioning administration," and, "We will build a National Assembly befitting the era of popular sovereignty, a livelihood-centered National Assembly."
Meeting with reporters immediately after his election, Cho said, "We will swiftly complete the formation of the standing committees, make the 88 bills left unhandled in the first half our top priority, and push constitutional amendment in the latter half by forming a special committee and working with the public."
Cho also pledged to establish a "popular sovereignty day," strengthen parliamentary diplomacy, and set up a Gwangju branch of the National Assembly Library and a new legislative training institute in the Chungcheong region.
Nam, who was elected as the deputy speaker candidate, also said, "To achieve the real amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, the No. 1 national agenda of the Lee Jae-myung administration, I will work with the speaker to create a special committee on constitutional revision and a national public deliberation committee to promote the amendment together with the people."
Nam also said, "We will build a National Assembly where consensus is not a virtue but an obligation," and, "We will ensure swift handling of livelihood bills by prioritizing review of bills jointly introduced by the ruling and opposition parties and by revising the National Assembly Act to exclude them from the filibuster."
The Democratic Party finalized its next speaker candidate by combining the online vote of dues-paying members held on the 11th–12th (20%) with the in-person vote of lawmakers that day (80%). The speaker race was a three-way contest among Reps. Kim Tae-nyeon, Park Gee-won, and Cho Jung-sik, while the deputy speaker race saw Nam In-soon face off against Min Hong-chul.
The speaker and deputy speaker candidates chosen that day will be finally elected after a yes-or-no vote at a plenary session of the National Assembly on the 20th. As the Democratic Party holds a majority of seats, the candidates who won the party's internal primaries are effectively set to be elected speaker and deputy speaker.