On the 2nd, at the plenary session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won and others protest the meeting's proceedings by Chairperson Choo Mi-ae. Sep. 2, 2025. Yonhap News  At the plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held on the 2nd, a fierce clash erupted from the start as the agenda item for appointing committee leaders was excluded from the day's schedule.

The People Power Party demanded, "Please bring up the agenda for appointing committee leaders first," but Chairperson Choo did not accept it. Lawmaker Na Kyung-won protested, stating, "This is a disregard for the basic procedures of parliamentary operation," and "Parliamentary democracy is collapsing." Lawmaker Kwak Gyu-taek called the meeting, which lacked committee leaders, "bizarre" and even mentioned the possibility of referring the matter to the ethics committee. As their right to speak on procedural matters was blocked, People Power Party lawmakers rushed to the front of the chairperson's seat to protest, ultimately staging a collective walkout.

The Democratic Party questioned the eligibility of lawmaker Na herself. Lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae asked, "How can someone who is tantamount to an accomplice in rebellion become a committee leader of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee?" and Lawmaker Seo Young-kyo countered, "Those who obstructed the execution of the search warrant for former President Yoon Suk-yeol are now obstructing the committee meeting."

The People Power Party had foreseen a clash with Chairperson Choo Mi-ae when they nominated Na Kyung-won as the opposition party's committee leader for the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, but they did not seem to expect Choo to obstruct the appointment of the committee leader from the outset.

The People Power Party strongly protested, stating that the Democratic Party was forcing the frame of "State of Emergency = Rebellion" within the committee room.

A source from the People Power Party stated, "The Democratic Party has been relentlessly portraying lawmaker Na as someone who 'conspires with rebellion.' However, if this logic holds true, does it mean that President Lee Jae-myung, whose case regarding election law violations was sent back for retrial by the Supreme Court, is already guilty?" The source continued, "Under the principle of law, a member of the National Assembly is stripped of their seat if a sentence is finalized. Since the rebellion charge is currently undergoing first-instance trial, no one can be definitively declared a rebel, and labeling someone as an 'accomplice to rebellion' before a court ruling is a violation of the rule of law."

He further emphasized, "Linking the opposition to rebellion through political slogans exposes the Democratic Party's own contradictions. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee is a place to review and deliberate laws and systems, but if the ruling party overshadows this with accusations of rebellion, parliamentary operations will only devolve into tools of political strife."

In fact, the Public Official Election Act stipulates that a member of the National Assembly shall have their election invalidated and lose their seat if they are sentenced to imprisonment or a fine of 1 million won or more, and this sentence is finalized. Similarly, if convicted of rebellion and the verdict is finalized, one would be restricted from running for office and unable to serve as president. However, the current stage is still during the trial, and the legal community interprets that the principle of presumption of innocence takes precedence.

Ultimately, on this day, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, with the People Power Party walking out, only processed the "Adoption of the Public Prosecutor Reform Public Hearing Plan" under the leadership of the Democratic Party. The issue of appointing committee leaders has been postponed, and the paralysis of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee shows signs of becoming prolonged.

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