Members of the People Power Party hold a press conference to promote the "Choo Mi-ae Prevention Act." From left, lawmakers Park Joon-tae, Na Kyung-won, and Cho Bae-sook. Yonhap News

 On the 19th, People Power Party lawmakers Na Kyung-won and Cho Bae-sook strongly criticized the committee management style of Justice and Law Committee Chair Choo Mi-ae and announced they would jointly propose the so-called "Choo Mi-ae Prevention Act." Recently, it was revealed that opposition lawmakers' questions and statements were blocked hundreds of times in committee meetings, pushing the conflict over parliamentary operation to its peak.

At a press conference that day, Rep. Na argued, "Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae is effectively using the standing committee's operation as a political tool." She added, "The basic order of parliamentary democracy has collapsed with the deprivation of opposition lawmakers' right to speak and the rejection of committee secretary appointments." She stated, "Now, the National Assembly must apply the brakes to its own runaway behavior," vowing to institutionally prevent such practices centered around the Justice and Law Committee.

Rep. Cho Bae-sook also warned, "Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae should conduct meetings fairly, encompassing both ruling and opposition parties, but she is operating meetings by only favoring the Democratic Party." She added, "If this oppressive parliamentary operation continues, the day the ruling party becomes the opposition will come sooner."

The People Power Party, along with lawmakers from the Justice and Law Committee, unveiled the draft of the "Choo Mi-ae and Kim Hyun-ji Prevention Act" today. The main provisions of the bill include: ▲ legal guarantees for the recommendation rights of floor leaders ▲ prevention of abuse of the chair's authority to maintain order and close debate ▲ strengthening the minority party's right to request witness appearances. Notably, it is drawing attention for mandating floor leader recommendations through an agreement between floor groups and establishing grounds for sanctions if the chair unilaterally rejects them.

The People Power Party also revealed its own tally showing that Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae had restricted opposition lawmakers' speaking time 271 times over the past two months, criticizing it as "essentially a meeting operation that silences dissent." Rep. Na emphasized, "If the National Assembly fails to check the tyranny of the majority, the legislative branch itself is denying democracy." She stressed, "This bill is not aimed at a specific individual but at restoring the parliamentary system."

The Democratic Party of Korea immediately reacted with opposition. Floor Leader Kang Hoon-sik of the Democratic Party stated, "The operation of the Justice and Law Committee is the inherent authority of the chair, and meeting proceedings are conducted according to the rules." He pointed out, "It is inherently dangerous for the People Power Party to try to legislate political conflicts." Jeon Jae-soo, the Justice and Law Committee secretary for the Democratic Party, argued, "The Justice and Law Committee operates according to the principle of majority rule and the rules. It is within the chair's authority to manage meetings."

Some in the political sphere suggest that this controversy could escalate beyond a mere dispute over standing committee operating authority into a structural issue of concentrated and abused power within the legislature. In particular, given that the Justice and Law Committee's power to "review and postpone bills" effectively dictates the pace of legislation for the entire National Assembly, there are calls for inevitable discussions on institutional improvements.

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