Seoul: The National Assembly voted Friday to elect Rep. Cho Jeong-sik of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) as the new parliamentary speaker. Rep. Cho, a seasoned six-term lawmaker, secured a decisive victory by garnering 267 out of 276 votes cast during a plenary session. His tenure as speaker is set to last for the second half of the 22nd National Assembly, concluding in May 2028.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho was chosen as a candidate for the speaker role following a successful majority vote in the Democratic Party's internal election held last month. The election outcome reflects the traditional practice in South Korea, where the largest party in terms of parliamentary seats assumes the speaker position. The two vice speaker roles are typically distributed between the ruling and the main opposition parties.

The Democratic Party currently commands a significant presence in the 300-member National Assembly with 161 seats. Meanwhile, the main opposition People Power Party holds 110 seats, marking a substantial parliamentary majority for the DP.