At a general meeting of lawmakers on the 2nd, the People Power Party refused to cooperate on forming the parliamentary leadership and signaled a hard-line fight. But judging by what lawmakers say privately, there are many complications that make it hard to just call for a fight. There is also a strong mood that they should fight on the floor by allocating committee chairs and forming the parliamentary leadership.
According to the political sphere on the 3rd, the People Power Party decided on a hard-line fight at a general meeting of lawmakers on the 2nd after rejecting seven standing committee chair posts proposed by the Democratic Party of Korea. After the People Power Party refused to cooperate on forming the parliamentary leadership, the Democratic Party of Korea submitted a request to convene an extraordinary National Assembly session in July that day. The plan is to first set in motion 11 standing committees where the Democratic Party elected the committee chairs on its own.
While the rift over forming the parliamentary leadership between the ruling and opposition blocs is deepening, the largest opposition People Power Party faces more complex internal calculations. The previous day, a list circulated in political circles bearing the names of seven standing committee chairs allocated to the People Power Party. People Power Party floor senior deputy Kim Seung-soo said it was "the Democratic Party of Korea's divide-and-conquer tactic," but judging from accounts by several lawmakers, the list appears to reflect discussions that had proceeded to some extent behind the scenes.
An aide in the office of a People Power Party lawmaker whose name appeared on the committee chair list said, "It's true there were actual discussions about committee chairs," adding, "You can't say the list is entirely untrue, can you?" A senior People Power Party lawmaker who saw the list said, "Separate from the fight, it's only natural to discuss plans and options for forming the committees," adding, "Looking at the committee chair list, it's put together in a way that leaves little room for disagreement."
In the case of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee chair allocated to the People Power Party, it was originally expected to go to a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker. But there is talk that when the People Power Party expressed a desire for that chair, the Democratic Party lawmaker in question moved to another committee chair. The People Power Party does not confirm this, but it suggests negotiations with the Democratic Party are continuing behind the scenes.
There were also lawmakers at the general meeting the previous day who argued for fighting on the floor. The reasons are largely practical. With the Democratic Party of Korea holding key committees, even if only 11 committees operate to run the July extraordinary session, the People Power Party has no way to block it. While they can try to brand the Democratic Party with the yoke of "one-man rule" and "monopoly," some say that means nothing more and nothing less.
A People Power Party lawmaker who attended the general meeting said, "Even if we fight, there were voices saying it should be on the floor," adding, "We already tried street protests in the first half of the Assembly, and there was no gain whatsoever." Meanwhile, after convening the Legislation and Judiciary Committee the previous day, the Democratic Party of Korea on this day held a full meeting of the Strategy and Finance Committee and is steadily setting committees in motion.