Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) announced its intention on Monday to finalize the selection of parliamentary committee chiefs by Tuesday, despite ongoing opposition from the People Power Party (PPP). The standoff between the two parties revolves around the allocation of committee chairmanships for the latter half of the 22nd National Assembly.

According to Yonhap News Agency, both parties are entrenched in their positions regarding the distribution of parliamentary committee chairmanships, even after multiple negotiation attempts. The DP, led by floor leader Han Byung-do, emphasized the urgency of the situation during a general meeting, stating, "We will complete the formation of the parliamentary committees within this month and ensure that the Assembly gets back to work." He urged all party lawmakers to be ready to take action starting in the afternoon.

The central issue is control over the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee, a pivotal body responsible for approving bills before they proceed to a plenary vote. The committee is currently led by Rep. Seo Young-kyo from the DP. The PPP has resisted submitting its nominees for the 18 standing parliamentary committees, defying the Monday noon deadline set by the parliamentary speaker. The resistance stems from the DP's determination to retain control over the judiciary committee.

PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig criticized the DP and Assembly speaker Cho Jeong-sik for independently compiling a list of committee chair nominees without engaging in negotiations or offering terms. He described the situation as coercive rather than collaborative.

In protest, PPP lawmakers held an indoor rally at the National Assembly, pledging to maintain their claim to the judiciary committee chairmanship. Despite the deadlock, the DP possesses the majority needed to elect committee chiefs, holding 161 out of 300 seats in the Assembly.