The ruling and opposition party floor leaders held a luncheon meeting to discuss the composition of the National Assembly and the schedule for the plenary session related to supplementary budgeting, but ultimately failed to reach an agreement. The Democratic Party stated it would push forward with the election process for the vacant chairperson of the standing committee, while the People Power Party emphasized it could not cooperate in holding the plenary session unless an agreement on the composition of the National Assembly was reached.
Democratic Party floor leader Kim Byung-ki and People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seok had a luncheon meeting on the 26th in a certain location in Yeouido, Seoul. Moon Jin-seok, the Democratic Party's chief deputy floor leader, and Yu Sang-beom, the People Power Party's chief deputy floor leader, also attended the meeting.
The leadership of both parties held the luncheon meeting for over an hour, but ultimately repeated their existing positions. The People Power Party argued that since Lee Jae-myung's government had been established and the Democratic Party held a majority of seats, they should concede the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. In contrast, the Democratic Party countered that the term of the chairpersons of standing committees agreed upon during the first leadership team remains for one more year, meaning they cannot concede the posts of the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the chair of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts.
Moon Jin-seok noted, 'To process the supplementary budget in the June extraordinary National Assembly, I request cooperation to ensure the plenary session is held tomorrow (the 27th),' adding, 'As for the chair of the Planning and Finance Committee, which belongs to the People Power Party, further discussion is necessary, so procedures for the election of the four vacant standing committee chairpersons (Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, Operating Committee, Culture and Sports Committee) should be carried out.'
Yu Sang-beom stated, 'The opposition party demanded that the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee or the chair of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts be conceded for checks and balances in the assembly, and in a situation where this demand is not accepted, it is difficult to cooperate in holding the plenary session,' noting, 'During today's negotiation process, there was no narrowing of the gap between the two sides.'
The Democratic Party plans to hold a plenary session on the 27th to elect the chairpersons of the standing committees unilaterally if no agreement is reached. The Democratic Party has already submitted the list of members for the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts to Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik. The People Power Party plans to take measures depending on future internal discussions. The schedule for the next meeting between the ruling and opposition party leadership has not yet been decided.
During the luncheon meeting of the ruling and opposition party leadership, the adoption of the personnel hearing report for Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok was also discussed, but no agreement was reached. People Power Party lawmakers urged the withdrawal of the nomination after Lee Jae-myung's presidential address held in the National Assembly that morning.