June 13 Legislative Report: 22nd National Assembly Gears Up for Lawmaking Tasks Amidst Ruling-Opposition Sparring

22nd National Assembly Kicks Off Major Legislative Agenda; Jo Guk Innovation Party Lawmakers Accelerate Policy Moves

With the 22nd National Assembly now in session, intense maneuvering between the ruling and opposition parties over the allocation of key standing committees is expected, alongside the substantive discussion of significant legislation. In particular, lawmakers from the Jo Guk Innovation Party (Jo Guk Innovation Party), signaling potential cooperation with the Democratic Party, are poised to pursue legislative activities in various fields, including reform of the criminal justice system, prosecution reform, and the guarantee of digital rights, drawing considerable attention. A comprehensive look at recent parliamentary trends and the activity plans of each party and its members provides insight into the key issues and policy directions for future National Assembly operations.

Standing Committee Assignments Spark Fierce Disputes Between Ruling and Opposition Parties; Standoff Over Leadership of Judiciary and Economic Committees

Ahead of the formation of the second half of the 22nd National Assembly's leadership, the ruling and opposition parties are engaged in a heated battle over the chairmanship of standing committees. The People Power Party argues that the opposition should head four committees, including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Judiciary Committee) and economic committees such as the Finance and Economy Planning Committee, the State Affairs Committee, and the Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee, citing the need to normalize the Assembly and restore checks and balances. People Power Party Floor Leader Jung Jin-sik emphasized, "We must end the monopolistic and dysfunctional operation of the first half of the Assembly," adding, "It is urgent to normalize the Judiciary Committee, and it should be allocated to the opposition." The Democratic Party, however, maintains its firm stance that it will not concede the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee, suggesting that conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties over standing committee assignments will only intensify.

Democratic Party Floor Leader Han Byung-do also clearly stated that the Judiciary Committee is not a subject for negotiation. He declared, "The Legislative and Judiciary Committee is not subject to negotiation regarding the distribution of standing committee chairmanships in the latter half of the 22nd National Assembly," and asserted that the principle of the Assembly's formation should be a "working National Assembly." This is interpreted as the Democratic Party's intention to lead key standing committees, including the Judiciary Committee, in the latter half of the session as it did in the first half. The tight confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties over the Judiciary Committee chairmanship adds uncertainty to the overall operation of the National Assembly. Furthermore, the People Power Party's assertion that it will lead a shift in economic policy direction based on public sentiment reflected in the June 3 local elections suggests that there will be significant differences of opinion between the ruling and opposition parties regarding the operation of economic-related standing committees going forward.

Meanwhile, former Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Yong-jin has been nominated as the Secretary-General of the National Assembly. With this ministerial-level position, which oversees the National Assembly Secretariat, being filled by a figure from the political sphere, analyses suggest that the political color of the National Assembly's operations will deepen. This point may also spark discussions about the neutrality and efficiency of the National Assembly Secretariat. In addition, legislative movements aimed at ensuring transparency in election management are being detected, with a request for a parliamentary inquiry into the ballot paper shortage incident during the June 3 local elections being reported to the plenary session. Both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party agree on the need for reform of the National Election Commission and are expected to urge a fact-finding investigation and measures to prevent recurrence through a parliamentary inquiry.

Jo Guk Innovation Party Lawmakers Commence Bill Proposal and Policy Recommendation Activities

With the opening of the 22nd National Assembly, lawmakers from the Jo Guk Innovation Party are accelerating the concretization of their policy vision, based on cooperation with the Democratic Party. They have particularly expressed strong legislative intent in specific areas such as human rights, democracy, reform of the criminal justice system, prosecution reform, and the guarantee of digital rights.

Representative Lee Hyeon-kyung, drawing on her experience as a lawyer with the Lawyers for Democracy, has announced her intention to pursue legislative activities aimed at promoting human rights and democracy. She has expressed a concrete will to push for legislation to reform the criminal justice system through her work on standing committees, including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Representative Yoon Hyun-jung has participated in discussions on amendments to the "Prosecution Service Act" and "Criminal Procedure Act" in the 22nd National Assembly, offering opinions on reducing the prosecution's direct investigation powers. This is one of the key issues in prosecution reform and is expected to draw attention during the legislative process. Furthermore, Representative Yoon's potential activities in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee or the State Affairs Committee have been mentioned ahead of standing committee assignments.

Representative Shin Hyun-song has indicated a push to strengthen the prevention of public officials' conflicts of interest and enhance penalties for corrupt acts through the enactment of the "Anti-Corruption and Anti-Graft Act." He has also shown his intent to pursue measures to increase the independence and efficiency of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) through proposing amendments to the "Act on the Establishment and Operation of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials." These legislative efforts are expected to contribute to enhancing transparency and credibility in public service. Representative Shin's potential affiliation with the Steering Committee and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee has also been discussed.

Representative Jeong Ho-yoon has presented "Guarantee of Digital Rights" as the Jo Guk Innovation Party's first policy agenda item and has announced plans to pursue the realization of digital citizenship through proposing amendments to the "Personal Information Protection Act" in the 22nd National Assembly. This is expected to be a significant bill that protects individual rights in the digital age and strengthens the self-determination rights of information subjects. Representative Jeong is known to aspire to serve on the Steering Committee and the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee.

Representative Lee Su-wan plans to lead legislative activities aligned with the directive to "promptly end prosecutorial dictatorship" and "restore livelihoods." Since his election, he has actively participated in proposing the "Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor Bill" and urged its passage. Representative Lee is also preparing for legislative activities by seeking assignments to key standing committees, including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Representative Jeong Seung-yoon also participated in proposing the Jo Guk Innovation Party's first bill, the "Han Dong-hoon Special Prosecutor Bill," and is envisioning active legislative plans ahead of standing committee assignments, including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

Additionally, Representative Jeong Mong-heon is preparing to propose legislation to expand social insurance coverage for artists and plans to serve on the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee. Representative Choi Eun-ok has shown strong interest in the activities of the "National Assembly Special Committee on Ethics" and plans to review and propose bills under the committee's jurisdiction after being assigned. Although Representative Ko Geum-ran is affiliated with the New Reform Party, she is participating in the proposal and discussion of key bills by the Jo Guk Innovation Party in the 22nd National Assembly, indicating expected cooperative legislative activities.

Future Outlook: Relationship with the Majority Party and Legislative Achievements

The proactive legislative efforts of Jo Guk Innovation Party lawmakers in the 22nd National Assembly are expected to serve as a significant variable in future parliamentary operations. In particular, the cooperative relationship with the Democratic Party, which holds a majority of seats, will be a key factor in determining the passage of legislation. As the Democratic Party shares some policy directions with the Jo Guk Innovation Party, such as prosecution and media reform, many of the bills proposed by the Jo Guk Innovation Party are likely to receive support from the Democratic Party. However, if conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties intensify over the composition and operation of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, legislative review processes could face unexpected hurdles. Furthermore, the push for special prosecutors targeting specific individuals, such as the "Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor Bill" and the "Han Dong-hoon Special Prosecutor Bill," could escalate political confrontation between the parties. In this context, the strategy Jo Guk Innovation Party lawmakers employ for their legislative activities and how they coordinate relationships with the Democratic Party and other parties will be crucial determinants of their legislative success. Ultimately, the focus must be on achieving tangible legislative outcomes that contribute to stabilizing livelihoods and societal development.