The 22nd National Assembly's first-half "attendance report cards" for lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party were released. The ruling and opposition lawmakers' attendance rate at plenary sessions topped 93%, but the rate of remaining in their seats was only 71%. In other words, many lawmakers checked in and left the plenary session early. Some lawmakers' adjournment attendance rate, meaning they were in their seats when the session ended, stayed in the 10% range.
On the 16th, the Law Consumers' Federation announced performance evaluations of legislative activity analyzing lawmakers' attendance and remaining-in-seat rates during the first half of the 22nd National Assembly. According to the analysis, among negotiation blocs, lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea ranked high in the plenary remaining-in-seat rate (the share who stayed from attendance through opening, recess, and adjournment). Kim Dong-a ranked first with 94.51%, and Cho Gye-won (90.85%) also topped 90%. They were followed by Lee Geon-tae, Ahn Tae-jun, and Kim Young-jin.
In the People Power Party, Lee Jong-uk (71.88%) and Chung Hee-yong (70.61%) topped 70%. Looking at all lawmakers, the attendance rate, which counts check-ins only, was high at 93.09%, but the remaining-in-seat rate, reflecting those who stayed to the end, was just 71%. Among them, 60 lawmakers fell short of a 60% remaining-in-seat rate, amounting to 22.14% of the total.
So-called "check-in and run" lawmakers, whose attendance and remaining-in-seat rates differed widely, were also disclosed. The data reveals cases where the gap between the attendance and remaining-in-seat rates is 35% or more, and People Power Party lawmakers Yoon Young-seok, Yoon Sang-hyun, and Kim Sang-hoon made the list. All three had attendance rates around 90%, but their remaining-in-seat rates were in the low 50% range.
Lawmakers frequently late or leaving early were also revealed. Lawmaker Kim Tae-ho's attendance-at-opening rate was 46.15%, falling short of half, and his adjournment attendance rate, measured at the end of the meeting, was 16.67%, among the lowest overall. Lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin likewise recorded a 45.19% opening attendance rate and a 19.61% adjournment attendance rate.
A political source said, "In the first half of the 22nd National Assembly, decisions by the People Power Party, such as filibusters and party-line boycotts of plenary sessions, may have been partly reflected in attendance and remaining-in-seat rates," but added, "Even so, lawmakers' staying in the plenary chamber is a basic duty to the public."