Rep. Park Byung-seug of the ruling Democratic Party elected speaker of the National Assembly for the first half of the 21st National Assembly delivers a speech at the first plenary session in the National Assembly in Yeoido, Seoul on June 5. (Photos: Democratic Party)

Rep. Park Byung-seug of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) was elected speaker of the National Assembly for the first half of the 21st National Assembly.

 “The people float a boat called a politician, but sometimes they turn it upside down. The 21st National Assembly should restore public trust,” Park said.

Park was elected speaker of the National Assembly for the first half of the 21st National Assembly at a plenary session earlier in the day. With lawmakers of the United Future Party walking out of the main hall of the National Assembly en masse, Park won 191 out of 193 votes.

“The U.S., the epicenter of the global financial crisis, failed to come up with a solution. The Lee Myung-bak administration urgently requested an agreement on up to US$100 billion in government guarantees from the opposition party. I took the lead in getting the agreement in spite of opposition from my party. At the time, the people heaped praise on the opposition party for making the big decision for national interests.”

In the meantime, the National Assembly held a plenary session on June 15 to elect the heads of six standing committees including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Members of the main opposition United Future Party did not participate in the session.

National Assembly Speaker Park Byung-seug forcefully placed members of the United Future Party into six, or one-third, of the 18 standing committees. It was unprecedented in constitutional history. Speaker Park said he had “a time of deep anguish.”

In the evening, the National Assembly elected chairmen of six standing committees, including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The votes were cast by 187 lawmakers from the Democratic Party, the Justice Party, the Open Democratic Party, the Transition Party and the Basic Income Party. Three members of the People’s Party were absent.

In order to elect chairmen of the standing committees, the National Assembly has to receive lists of all standing committee members from political parties, but the United Future Party did not submit a list of its committee members until the day.

Park eventually forcefully allocated members to the six standing committees that elected their chairmen. This was also unprecedented.

(left) Yoon Ho-jung of the ruling Democratic Party was elected as chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. (center) Yoon Hoo-deok of the Democratic Party of Korea was elected as chairman of the Strategy and Finance Committee. (right) Lee Hak-young as chairman of the Industry, Commerce, Energy, Small and Medium Company and Startup Committee.

(left) Song Young-gil was elected chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. (center) Min Hong-chul as chairman of the National Defense Committee. (right) Han Jung-ae as chairwoman of the Health and Welfare Committee.

Yoon Hoo-deok (3rd term) of the Democratic Party of Korea was elected as chairman of the Strategy and Finance Committee, while Han Jung-ae (3rd term) and Lee Hak-young (3rd term) as chairwoman of the Health and Welfare Committee and chairman of the Industry, Commerce, Energy, Small and Medium Company and Startup Committee. Song Young-gil (5th term) was elected chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and Min Hong-chul (3rd term) as chairman of the National Defense Committee.

The floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties negotiated over which party would take the chairman position of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee until the morning of the day, but failed to iron out their differences.