Ruling Party's Legislative Drive vs. Opposition's Standing Committee Boycott... Parliamentary Committee Deadlock Prolongs Legislative Gridlock

With the second-half parliamentary committee formation deadlock prolonging the 'split parliament' scenario, expectations are growing that Constitution Day on July 17 will serve as a decisive dividing line. As National Assembly Chairman Choong-sik has mandated committee formation by that date, the situation now forces the ruling Democratic Party to decide whether to continue its legislative drive independently or the opposition People Power Party to maintain its boycott. Both parties plan to restart negotiations this week, though significant hurdles remain due to persistent disagreements over the Lawmaking Committee chair. The Democratic Party insists the People Power Party must accept its proposal to assign 11 of 17 standing committee chairs, maintaining its stance that the Lawmaking Committee chair is non-negotiable to prevent government legislative priorities from stalling. Meanwhile, the People Power Party insists securing the Lawmaking Committee chair is essential for meaningful negotiations, with some factions even discussing resignation as a last resort. The escalating standoff is further intensified by the Democratic Party's push for criminal procedure reforms and a special investigation into the election management commission, while the People Power Party opposes the reforms due to concerns about police dominance in criminal investigations.