The ruling and opposition parties are running parallel over forming the second-half power structure of the 22nd National Assembly. The Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party are engaged in a hard-edged standoff over The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. When the People Power Party did not submit its list of standing committee members, the National Assembly speaker's office on the 26th even "faxed notice" to the party with the same list as in the first half. Although the speaker's office set noon on the 29th as the deadline, strong resistance from the People Power Party makes it unlikely that forming the power structure will wrap up smoothly.
There has been a change in the ranking of preferred standing committees among lawmakers in this formation of the power structure. More lawmakers reportedly flocked to the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee (Kino Committee) than in the first half. Heavyweight lawmakers from both parties, including former party leaders or those who chaired standing committees in the first half of the Assembly, are said to have applied to the Kino Committee.
The Kino Committee is a standing committee created midterm in the 22nd National Assembly with the launch of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. The reason its popularity is rising in this second half is said to be that it took over the "energy" portfolio, which had been under the Trade. Industry Energy. SMEs. and Startups Committee. Previously, when the Kino Committee was the Environment and Labor Committee, whose main tasks were labor and environment, it was never considered a popular standing committee.
In political circles, some say "lawmakers are especially flocking to the Kino Committee this second half because the consolidation of power generation public corporations and the transfer of the integrated headquarters are on the line."
The government is pushing to consolidate the five power generation public corporations under Korea Electric Power Corporation. The five power generation public corporations have their headquarters split across South Gyeongsang, South Chungcheong, Busan and Ulsan. So far, only the overarching principle of integrating the five corporations into one has been prepared, and no concrete integration plan has been released. It has not been decided where to place the integrated headquarters, or how to handle the five existing headquarters that have been separate. Regions that have hosted their own headquarters and regions eager to attract the integrated headquarters inevitably have strong interest. Full-fledged discussions are set to proceed in the Kino Committee.
A National Assembly official said, "From the perspective of a district lawmaker, if they can newly bring in the integrated headquarters of the power generation public corporations or keep an existing headquarters in place, they are likely to receive favorable evaluations from voters in the next general election," adding, "With less than two years until the general election, the Kino Committee is preferred because it has good items."