{"id":2204914,"date":"2024-05-01T19:16:51","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T10:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2204914"},"modified":"2024-05-03T18:46:31","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T09:46:31","slug":"frontrunner-for-rok-speaker-sparks-concerns-about-her-commitment-to-impartiality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/05\/frontrunner-for-rok-speaker-sparks-concerns-about-her-commitment-to-impartiality\/","title":{"rendered":"Frontrunner for ROK speaker sparks concerns about her commitment to impartiality"},"content":{"rendered":"

South Korea\u2019s new lawmakers are preparing to take office at the end of May, and one of their first tasks will be to make the important decision of who will be the next speaker of the National Assembly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Choo Mi-ae, a former justice minister and six-time elected lawmaker for the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), is increasingly regarded as a frontrunner for the position and could make history as the first woman to hold the influential role.<\/span><\/p>\n

But while Choo has garnered support from the <\/span>DP\u2019s<\/span><\/a> support<\/span><\/a> bases<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>incumbent lawmakers<\/span><\/a>, her recent statements have sparked controversy by signaling a willingness to abandon the political impartiality traditionally expected of National Assembly speakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Experts have raised concerns about the potential consequences if Choo is selected for speaker and takes a more defiantly partisan stance, warning it could further escalate existing conflicts within the National Assembly and hinder its ability to address major problems facing the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

The speaker of South Korea\u2019s National Assembly presides over a plenary session involving a full cohort of government ministers and lawmakers, Sep. 1, 2023 | Image: ROK National Assembly<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY<\/b><\/p>\n

Under the separation of powers in South Korea\u2019s political system, the position of the speaker of the National Assembly is the most senior role in the legislative branch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s essentially the second-highest political position after the president. Typically, candidates with a wealth of legislative experience and a reputation for moderate political views are favored for the speakership,\u201d Cho Jin-man, a professor of political science at Duksung Women\u2019s University, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The speaker plays a <\/span>role<\/span><\/a> in mediating discussions between the ruling and opposition parties, managing a broad spectrum of parliamentary activities and ensuring the smooth functioning of the assembly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The speaker also has the <\/span>right<\/span><\/a> to vote on any agenda item, such as bills, resolutions, or budget bills. The only difference is that they exercise their voting right as the \u201cspeaker of the National Assembly\u201d rather than as a member of a specific political party.<\/span><\/p>\n

The speaker is elected through majority vote of the sitting members of the legislature <\/span>every two years<\/span><\/a>, aligning with the first and second halves of the National Assembly’s four-year term.<\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>2002<\/span><\/a>, a legislative amendment prohibited an elected speaker from aligning with any political party during their tenure, assuming an independent stance and upholding impartiality. This measure is designed “to ensure that all opinions are adequately represented” in the National Assembly, according to Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cho of Duksung Women\u2019s University emphasized the longstanding tradition of \u201cestablishing a significantly neutral model of the speaker of the National Assembly both institutionally and conventionally to adhere to the flow of parliamentary operations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But the expert said there has been a gap between the ideal of neutrality and its practical implementation. Past ROK speakers have occasionally exhibited \u201cslight partisanship to their original political parties,\u201d Cho told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike the U.S., where speakers remain members of their parties, or the U.K., where the speaker remains completely impartial, South Korea’s parliamentary speaker lies somewhere between those two models in principle, Cho added.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Choo Mi-ae, then-leader of the Democratic Party, (center) during a press conference immediately after the Constitutional Court’s decision to impeach then-President Park Geun-hye, March 10, 2017\u00a0 and a plenary session of the 21st National Assembly in Dec. 2021 (background) | Image: Democratic Party<\/a>, ROK National Assembly<\/a>, edited by Korea Pro<\/p><\/div>\n

A GROWTH IN CALLS FOR PARTISANSHIP<\/b><\/p>\n

Since her re-election, Choo has hinted that she will disregard expectations of political neutrality if she is selected for the speaker position.<\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>various<\/span><\/a> media<\/span><\/a> interviews, Choo has advocated for departing from \u201cmechanical neutrality\u201d and rejected the need for compromise, arguing that there\u2019s a need for the speaker to take a more proactive approach in pushing \u201calternative solutions for the people based on public sentiment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Choo\u2019s main competitors in the DP, six-time lawmaker Cho Jung-sik and five-time lawmaker Jung Sungho, have echoed her sentiments and said the speaker should foster strong relationships with the members of their party.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pointing to the election outcomes as indicative of public dissatisfaction with the Yoon administration, <\/span>DP lawmakers<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Choo\u2019s supporters<\/span><\/a> have also dismissed the need for impartiality and argued the speaker should \u201cdeliver legislation for meaningful reforms.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shin of Myongji University said Choo\u2019s position signals \u201csomething quite serious\u201d and \u201cunfitting\u201d to the traditional impartiality upheld by the country\u2019s national speaker.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cho of Duksung Women\u2019s University added that the former justice minister\u2019s remarks were \u201cconcerning\u201d and could \u201caffect the flow of parliamentary operations.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rhee Jong-hoon, a senior consultant for Politics and Business Consulting, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that shows of favoritism by the speaker to their own party could also \u201clead to opposition and even the loss of authority.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite experts\u2019 concerns, according to a<\/span> recent public poll conducted by<\/span> the surveyer <\/span>Jowon C&I<\/span><\/a>, more than 45% of respondents <\/span>favored Choo as the inaugural speaker of the 22nd National Assembly. But 40% of respondents either favored alternative figures or remained on the fence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Choo Mi-ae, then-leader of the Democratic Party, pictured during her New Year\u2019s press conference on Jan. 2018 (left) and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol delivering a speech at the ceremony of the March 1 Independence Movement in March 2024 | Image: Democratic Party<\/a>, ROK Presidential Office<\/a>, edited by Korea Pro<\/p><\/div>\n

SPEAKER CHOO MI-AE<\/b><\/p>\n

Experts said a partisanship speaker could add to worsening parliamentary conflicts and upset the delicate relationship between parliament and the Presidential Office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rhee of Politics and Business Consulting said a partisan speaker could lead to low legislative productivity, as seen during the 21st National Assembly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cho added that given the DP\u2019s overwhelming majority, the speaker’s bias could intensify conflicts in ways that affect the parliament’s ability to address important issues affecting people\u2019s livelihoods.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the National Assembly is in constant conflict with the president and internal strife persists between the ruling and opposition parties, only chaos will be repeated,\u201d Cho said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shin of Myongji University also noted the risk of further widening the gap between the legislative and executive branches.<\/span><\/p>\n

Choo unequivocally <\/span>stated<\/span><\/a> her stance on Yoon immediately after her re-election, declaring her commitment to \u201cputting a brake on the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her long-standing connection with Yoon traces back to her tenure as Seoul’s justice minister during the Moon Jae-in administration. During this <\/span>period<\/span><\/a>, she gained prominence for her unwavering commitment to driving forward prosecutorial reform, clashing publicly with the then-prosecutor-general Yoon until her resignation from the minister position in <\/span>2021<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s essentially a revenge match set-up. Choo\u2019s comments have hinted at her intentions to pursue this. However, whether performing the role of Speaker in that manner is desirable is somewhat questionable,\u201d Rhee said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cho suggested the DP should take heed not to make the same mistakes that President Yoon did during his first two years in office, when he \u201cdid as he pleased\u201d and disregarded those on the other side of the political aisle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He highlighted that the DP\u2019s victory in April\u2019s general elections has shifted the \u201cfocus of power\u201d toward the National Assembly rather than the Presidential Office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis yields immense responsibility and should prompt the [DP] to excel in its role wisely within the legislature,\u201d Cho said, stressing the need to address a diversity of viewpoints from the parliamentary floor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s ultimately up to the majority party\u2019s lawmakers to judge for themselves and elect a proper speaker considering the traditions.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Edited by Alannah Hill<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Culture & Society<\/span><\/a>Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Korea\u2019s new lawmakers are preparing to take office at the end of May, and one of their first tasks will be to make the important decision of who will be the next speaker of the National Assembly. Choo Mi-ae, a former justice minister and six-time elected lawmaker for the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10909,"featured_media":2204915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[25,27],"class_list":["post-2204914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","tag-culture-society","tag-domestic-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nFrontrunner for ROK speaker sparks concerns about her commitment to impartiality - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/05\/frontrunner-for-rok-speaker-sparks-concerns-about-her-commitment-to-impartiality\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Frontrunner for ROK speaker sparks concerns about her commitment to impartiality - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Korea\u2019s new lawmakers are preparing to take office at the end of May, and one of their first tasks will be to make the important decision of who will be the next speaker of the National Assembly. 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