'People Power Party Nominees' Lee Sang-hyun & Woo In-sik's National Human Rights Commission Member Election Bill Rejected at Plenary Session

Democratic Party Held Free Vote, but Large Number of No Votes Expected... "Pro-Coup Supporters"

Seriously, the People Power Party (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Park Dong-ju = National Assembly Speaker Song Eon-seok of the People Power Party is lost in thought while listening to conversations among lawmakers at the plenary session of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 27th. 2025.8.27 pdj6635@yna.co.kr

The election bill for National Human Rights Commission standing and non-standing members nominated by the People Power Party was rejected at the National Assembly's plenary session on the 27th.

The National Assembly held a plenary session that afternoon and put to a secret ballot the motion to elect Professor Lee Sang-hyun of Soongsil University's Department of International Law and Attorney Woo In-sik of the Hairim Law Office as standing and non-standing members of the National Human Rights Commission, respectively, but the motion was rejected.

The bill for the election of Commissioner Lee was rejected with 99 votes in favor, 168 votes against, and 3 abstentions out of a total of 270 votes cast. For Commissioner Woo, it was rejected with 99 votes in favor, 166 votes against, and 5 abstentions out of a total of 270 votes cast.

The Democratic Party, holding an absolute majority of seats, conducted a free vote without a party mandate.

However, at a general meeting of lawmakers held just before the plenary session, Rep. Seo Mi-hwa stated in a closed-door meeting that the individuals nominated by the People Power Party were "pro-anti-rights and pro-anti-democracy, pro-coup supporters," according to a briefing by the Democratic Party after the meeting.

Consequently, it appears that the Democratic Party cast a large number of no votes.

Professor Lee, a member of the 'National Professors' Association for Social Justice,' a hardline conservative group that argued against the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, and an executive committee member of the 'Christian Lawyers Association,' a conservative Christian organization, faced criticism from pro-government civic groups due to these affiliations.

Attorney Woo had argued for the rejection of the impeachment motion against former President Yoon during the impeachment crisis.

Furthermore, he was part of the legal defense team for Lee Gwang-woo, former head of security at the Presidential Security Service, who was investigated for obstructing the arrest of former President Yoon. In 2019, he drew controversy for his role as a lawyer for Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church, who was under investigation for illegal assembly.

Previously, the People Power Party had recommended attorneys Ji Young-joon and Park Hyung-myung as candidates for human rights commissioner last month. However, they withdrew their recommendations after it became known that they opposed the Anti-Discrimination Act and participated in rallies against the impeachment of former President Yoon.