ArirangNews

The new look national assembly has missed the legal deadline for choosing who will take the coveted position of assembly speaker.
The ruling and opposition parties remain deadlocked over which side should fill that and other key parliamentary positions.
Ji Myung-kil starts us off

The first extraordinary session of the 20th National Assembly kicked off on Tuesday, but lawmakers from the rival political parties are still wrangling over which of them will take the position of speaker.


"The opposition bloc may now be bigger than the ruling party,... which has put pressure on us to vote,... but thinking they can win the speaker's seat infringes on parliamentarianism."

The Saenuri Party lost its parliamentary majority in the April general election, garnering 122 seats, while the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea won 123.
Minor parties and independents took the remaining 55.
The Saenuri Party says tradition dictates that the ruling party take the speaker's seat.
The Minjoo Party says it should go to the party with the most seats.


"All parliaments around the world give the speaker's seat to the biggest party. Since the Saenuri Party is now the second-largest party, it's in a state of shock, as its been accustomed to being the number-one player."

The minor opposition People's Party urged the two rivals to at least put a candidate forward and have the assembly vote.
The Minjoo Party accepted, but the Saenuri Party, now without a parliamentary majority, rejected the idea.


"The rival parties should first put up a candidate for the speaker post. Once we elect the speaker, it will be easy to select the two deputy speakers. Then we should carry on with selecting the heads of the standing committees."


"The three parties have until Thursday to select the standing committee heads.
Ji Myung-kil, Arirang News."