The 20th National Assembly officially opened on June 13. Its first task is collaboration between the opposition-dominated parliament and the government.
Rep. Chung Sye-kyun of the Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) has taken the helm of the parliament as the ruling Saenuri lost its majority in the National Assembly in the April 13 elections, altering the national political landscape into a three-way structure — the Saenuri Party, MPK and the People’s Party. Rep. Shim Jae-chul of the Saenuri Party and Rep. Park Joo-sun of the People’s Party have been elected as vice speakers.
Vice Speaker Shim, a graduate from Seoul National University English Education Department, is a five-time lawmaker. He served as chairman of the Special Committee on Budgets & Accounts, and chairman of the Special Committee on Countermeasures against the Sinking of the Ferry Sewol. Vice Speaker Park, a graduate of Seoul National University Law Department, is a four-time lawmaker.
Vice Speaker Shim said after his election, “The 20th National Assembly should evolve into a place based on deliberate democracy.” He said he will make all-out efforts to let the National Assembly work from the standpoint of cooperation to cope with people’s rising demands and social changes.
Vice Speaker Park also stressed the need for collaboration. “I’ll devote myself to making the National Assembly productive and the one people want it to be ” he said.
President Park Geun-hye said, “I think that the parliament takes the path, not different from the government, from the standpoint of working for the people.” She said she plans to talk more and communicate with the National Assembly in the future. President Park made the remarks while meeting with Speaker Chung and leaders of the three parties after delivering a speech at the opening session of the 20th National Assembly.
President Park devoted almost one-fourth of the commemorative speech to the restructuring of the shipbuilding and shipping industries. “Our shipbuilding industry has won numerous contracts for offshore plants at excessively low prices over the last several years in the face of an “order cliff.” And as shipbuilders committed increased personnel and equipment to meet deadlines, the industry has become oversized, leading to more difficulties,” President Park said.
“So now, if we fail to reduce the bloated footprint of excessive personnel and equipment and implement decisive restructuring to cut unnecessary costs, we cannot guarantee the future of the shipbuilders nor the industry itself. Since our shipbuilding industry possesses the world’s highest level of shipbuilding capacity and technology in high value-added vessels, we must pursue a preemptive and rules-based restructuring of the shipbuilding industry so our capacity and technical skills will not contract,” she said. “The firms and creditors must make excruciating efforts for self-help with the determination that risking your life is the only way to survive,” she added.
President Park said, “I ask the 20th National Assembly to become a chamber of mutual benefit and reconciliation, working solely from the standpoint of the people.
In order to improve the quality of life for our people, politics must be dedicated to the people and a political culture that can cease political infighting is desperately needed.
“I will hold trilateral party leaders’ talks on a regular basis and respect the National Assembly as a partner in state affairs as we join the people in forging a path toward an advanced Korea,” President Park said.
“The age of the ‘4th Industrial Revolution’ is quickly approaching and this is a tide that cannot be denied,” she said. “In order to quickly respond to the rapidly changing global environment, we have made efforts to improve the overall health of our economy and society by creating new engines for growth through ‘creative economy’ and ‘cultural enrichment’, the three-year economy innovation plan and the 4 major structural reforms,” the chief executive said.
Speaker Chung Favors Constitutional Reform
Speaker Chung gave his inaugural speech at the opening session on June 13 in which he touched on the need for revising the Constitution, rekindling the debate on how to amend the Constitution.
Changing the current presidential system by amending of the Constitution is an issue that cannot be ignored, Chung said. "As parliamentary speaker, I will try to pave the way for a revision to the Constitution," he said.
In a related development, Speaker Chung named Woo Yoon-keun, a former floor leader of the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), and Kim Kyo-heung, an ex-lawmaker as secretary general of the National Assembly Secretariat and chief secretary of the Speaker’s Office, respectively. Woo is considered one of the opposition side’s representative constitutional reform proponents. He served as a leading opposition leader of a committee designed to seek the revision of the Constitution, which consisted of 154 ruling and opposition lawmakers during the 19th National Assembly.
Politicians have been engaged in on-and-off debates over how to change the current five-year presidential system. Under consideration is retaining the present system, but cutting the term to four years, with the possibility of reelection.
Speaker Chung has become the first lawmaker from the opposition side to assume the top legislative post for the first time in 14 years. The six-term lawmaker began his two-year term that goes until 2018. Chung beat out former Seoul City Mayor Oh Se-hoon in the latest general election. In 2010, he served as the leader of then-opposition Democratic Party, the predecessor to the MPK, and led the party to victory in the 2010 by-election.
Chung, born in Jinan, Jeollabuk-do, graduated from Korea University Law Department. He obtained an MBA from Pepperdine University of the United States and a doctorate from Kyung Hee University. He served as chairman of the student body of Korea University at the time of the launching of the so-called repressive Youshin regime of former President Park Chung Hee.
He had an 18-year business career in which he was in charge of international affairs and he also served as the minister in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, so he is considered one of opposition side’s top economics experts.
Speaker Chung entered the political field in April 1996. Chung was elected as a member of the 18th National Assembly for the fourth straight after he won a seat from the Jinan, Muju, Jangsu and Imsil electoral district as a member of the 15th parliament. He was reelected from the Jongno electoral district in the latest parliamentary election.
Chung is the author of the book “Fountain Economy for 99 Percent,” which lays a foundation of making low- and medium-level people richer to lead growth of the whole “like the spewing of a fountain,” which is the opposite concept of the tricking down effect.
Chung led in submitting a bill on the creation of a youth tax, calling for a surcharge, equivalent to 1 percent of each company's more than 100 million tax assessment standards to secure financial resources to solve youth unemployment.
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Powerful Whips under Three-Way Party Structure
Each party’s floor leader is considered one of the most powerful party office-holders. They are Chung Jin-suk of the Saenuri Party, a four-time lawmaker, Woo Sang-ho of the MPK, and Park Ji-won of the People’s Party, a close confidant of former President Kim Dae-jung. In particular, the standing of floor leaders of the three parties is expected to get higher as the April 13 parliamentary elections did not give a majority to any party. The MPK earned 123 seats, followed by the Saenuri Party with 122 seats and the People’s Party with 38 seats, changing the paradigm into a three-way party structure. The floor leaders of the three parties seem like they are virtually a joint conductor of an orchestra as they are required to need dialogue and cooperation to put the National Assembly on a right tract.
Rep. Chung was elected as floor leader and interim leader of the Saenuri Party on June 3 as he got 69 votes out of the 119, defeating candidates Nah Kyung-won and Yoo Ki-jung with support from members of a faction of pro-President Park Geun-hye and party lawmakers hailing from the Chungcheong area, a striking contrast from an expected tight three-way fight. Chung is now charged with a mission to pick up pieces from the rout of the Saenuri Party in the latest parliamentary elections and ease factional strife.
In an earlier joint discussion session, Chung said, “The thing the Saenuri Party badly needs is a great cohesion, and the party, which was in danger of disintegration due to conflicts over the controversial Sejong City, had learned a lesson of overcoming an inside split and a crisis.”
Floor leader Chung of the Saenuri Party served as an inviting professor of Korea University, secretary general of the National Assembly and chief secretary for political affairs at Cheong Wa Dae.
While delivering a speech as the Saenuri Party’s representative among bargaining groups during the first session of the 20th National Assembly, floor leader Chung stressed “social great compromise,” citing bipolarization of society and double-layer structure of the labor market as severe issues. He proposed the so-called middle standardization calling or regular employees to make concessions, saying, “Korea and the United States are classified into the category of the most unequal countries, and the biggest problem of the Korean economy is the too big difference between regular employees and temps.” As to the so-call democratization of the economy, Chung also suggested conglomerates’ management responsibility.
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National Assembly Elect Chairmen of 18 Parliamentary Committees
The 20th National Assembly elected the chairmen of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on June 13.
In the Saenuri Party, the chairmanship of the House Steering Committee went to floor leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk. It is a precedent for the ruling party’s whip to take the post, which oversees Cheong Wa Dae and the presidential office. Chung, a four-time lawmaker, served as senior presidential secretary for political affairs and the secretary general of the National Assembly.
Rep. Lee Jin-bok of the Saenuri Party, a three-time lawmaker, was elected as the chairman of the National Policy Committee. Chairman Lee said the selection of business tycoon as witnesses of the parliamentary audit of the government will be decided in a more rational manner than currently. Picking the financing field as one of the most important duties under the jurisdiction of the committee, Chairman Lee said, “An economic crisis, which took place every 10 years in the past, is now coming frequently.” He stressed that the restructuring of industries should be made on a consistent basis, and steps should be taken to prevent the spreading of an economic crisis into bankruptcies of the financial sector.
Rep. Lee Cheol-woo of the Saenuri Party, a three-time lawmaker, was elected as the chairman of the Intelligence Committee. Rep. Lee, elected from the Gimcheon electoral district in Gyeongsangbuk-do, served as a director general of the National Intelligence Service and deputy governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do.
He said three members each from the Saenuri and MPK and two from the People’s Party are stilling on the Intelligence Committee. “Ruling and opposition party leaders of the committee have so far discussed all things.” Shrugging off some people’s concern over his election as the committee chairman, a former NIS officer, he made it clear that he will act from the viewpoint of a lawmaker, not the NIS.
Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, secretary general of the Saenuri Party, a three-time lawmaker, was elected as chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, while Rep. Yoo Jae-jung of the Saenuri Party, a three-time lawmaker, was elected as chairman of the Security and Public Administration Committee.
Rep. Kim Young-woo of the Saenuri Party, a three-time lawmaker, was elected as the chairman of the National Defense Committee, while Rep. Yang Seung-jo of the MPK was elected as chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee.
The chairmanship of the Strategy and Finance Committee went to Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae of the Saenuri Party, a four-time lawmaker, while Rep. Shin Sang-jin of the Saenuri Party, a four-time lawmaker, was elected as the chairman of the Science, ICT, Future Planning, Broadcasting and Communications Committee. Chairman Cho said whether a corporate tax will be raised or lowered should be determined in consideration of global trends toward the tax. He hinted that he is opposed to some opposition party lawmakers’ proposal for raising the tax, saying that more member countries of the OECD have lowered the tax than those who raised it. Cho stressed that the committee should focus on acting on such pending issues as youth unemployment and poverty of the elderly people. He proposed the so-called Special Act on the Nurturing of Youth Venture Companies to relieve youth unemployment.
Chairman Shin said, ”I’ll do my best to explore Korea’s future growth engines, make sure safety of nuclear power and fair broadcasting.” He said he would become chairman of the committee who talks with opposition regarding pending issues and tries to find compromises.
Rep. Yoo Sung-yop of the People’s Party, a three-time lawmaker, became the chairman of the Education, Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, while Rep. Shim Jae-kwon of the MPK, a three-time lawmaker, was elected as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. Chairman Yoo stressed the strengthening of public education to cut down on parents’ spending for extraordinary school education.
Rep. Cho Jeong-sik of the MPK, a four-time lawmaker, was elected as the chairman of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, while Rep. Kim Young-choon of the MPK, a four-time lawmaker, was elected as the chairman of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee.
Chairman Cho, first elected from the Shiheung B electoral district in Gyeoggi-do in 1963, is a graduate from Yonsei University Architecture Department. He served as chairman of the Democratic Party Gyeonggi-do Chapter and secretary general of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD). Cho, said after his election, “I feel heavy responsibility as chairman of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, which is an important standing committee charged with land development, housing, transportation, construction, and other parts of the nation’s real economy. I will devote myself to carrying duties and roles as chairman of the committee.” “I will make sure that a hefty of pending issues will be scrutinized, and the operation of the committee will be made in an efficient fashion, and I will make all-out efforts to make the committee evaluated with more performances than any other the way people can sense,” he added.
Rep. Chang-byoung-wan of the People’s Party, a three-time lawmaker, was elected as the chairman of the Trade, Industry and Energy Committee, while Rep. Kim Hyun-mee of MPK was elected as the chairman of the Special Committee of Budget & Accounts.
Chairman Chang, said after his election, “I feel more responsibility for assuming the important post when there are lots of pending issues that need to be tackled in the trade, industry and energy field.”
“The urgent task is the easing of uncertainties of the national economy by swiftly completing the restructuring of the conventional industries, including the shipbuilding industry,” Chang said. Irresponsible management and policy-makers for implementing ill-conceived policies should be held responsible to prevent recurrences, and the job security of workers affected by the restructuring should be the foremost task, he said.
Chairman Chang picked such urgent tasks as the exploring of new industry growth engines to create jobs, nimble responses to new trade orders and the energy policy paradigm shifting to one that focuses on new and renewable energy resources.
Chang also cited the significant task of nurturing venture SMEs with creativity and a challenging spirit, which will become future growth engines. Chairman Chang said he will redouble efforts to create a corporate environment focusing on SMEs to complement a sustainable economic structure.
Legal and institutional support needs to be offered to solve the tasks, Chang said. To this end, he called for bipartisan collaboration.
Rep. Chang, a graduate of Seoul National University Commerce College, gained a master’s degree from University of Wisconsin Public Policy Graduate School and a doctorate from Chungang University Graduate School Public Administration Department.
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