The Democratic Party of Korea has referred to an Operations Committee subcommittee a proposed revision to the National Assembly Act that would allow the removal of standing committee chairs who refuse to convene meetings without justifiable cause, in a move aimed at blocking the People Power Party from stalling legislation.
On the 27th, the National Assembly Steering Committee referred to its operations improvement subcommittee the National Assembly Act revision proposed by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Tae-nyeon, which stipulates such provisions.
The core of the bill is the creation of grounds for replacing standing committee chairs. It would apply to chairs who, without justifiable cause, refuse or avoid convening a committee or conducting proceedings; fail to comply with a request to convene; fail to designate an acting official, thereby hindering committee activities; or significantly delay the review of a bill.
A motion to replace a chair may be proposed at the request of at least one-third of the committee's members, and it is passed if a majority of members approve. If the bill passes, the replacement of standing committee chairs would be inevitable even if the People Power Party holds a chairmanship, given the National Assembly's composition in which the Democratic Party holds a majority.
The bill also requires a chair to convene a meeting within three days of receiving a request to convene a committee. However, the chair may set a different timing for convening if agreed upon with the committee's secretaries.
In particular, if a chair fails to comply with a request to convene, and the National Assembly Speaker deems it necessary, the duties of the chair may be carried out by a secretary from a negotiation bloc to which the chair does not belong, starting with the secretary of the negotiation bloc that has the largest number of member lawmakers. In this case, the Speaker may designate the date and time of the committee meeting on his own authority.
The Steering Committee referred a total of 63 bills to the operations improvement subcommittee that day, including the aforementioned bill as well as National Assembly Act revisions covering improvements to the filibuster system and restrictions on the use of personal audio equipment on the plenary floor.
