A tug-of-war is persisting over key parliamentary positions in the 20th National Assembly, with rival parties jockeying for the post of the National Assembly speaker.

The main opposition The Minjoo Party of Korea insists that the seat should go to one of its members now that it is the No.1 parliamentary party with 123 seats in the 300-member Assembly. The Saenuri Party counters that the ruling party should hold the position. 

The debate is likely to delay the lawmakers’ efforts to wrap up assigning key parliamentary positions before their self-imposed deadline. The Saenuri Party, the Minjoo Party and the third-biggest People’s Party agreed to elect the speaker by June 7 and select the chiefs of the parliamentary committees by June 9.

The Saenuri Party claimed it was “customary” for the ruling party to take the speaker seat, shifting from its earlier stance of giving up the post to the main opposition party in return for other high-profile chairpersons’ seats in standing committees.

“Except for one instance, ruling parties have keep the post throughout history. Opposition parties are trying to break established practice,” said Saenuri Party floor leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk. He also referred to the 13th Assembly elected in 1988. The then-ruling Democratic Justice Party had lost its majority, but its lawmakers served as speaker throughout the four-year term.

The only exception was in the 16th Assembly that began in 2000. The Saenuri whip said that that the exception was an “isolated case” because the then-opposition party had exercised an “overwhelming majority.” The election had given then-opposition Grand National Party, a precursor to the Saenuri Party, 133 seats against 115 of the then-ruling New Millennium Democratic Party, itself a precursor to the Minjoo Party.

But the two opposition parties blamed the Saenuri Party for changing its position, threatening to put the decision to a vote in a scheduled plenary session on June 7 unless the ruling party gives in.

The two main opposition parties -- the Minjoo Party and the People’s Party -- have a combined majority of 160 seats. The Saenuri Party holds 122 seats.

“The Saenuri Party has suddenly changed its positon and put negotiations in a deadlock,” said the Minjoo Party floor leader Rep. Park Kwang-on. “If they refuse to budge, we have no choice but to let the lawmakers themselves decide in a plenary session,” he said.

Parties elect the speaker through a floor vote, but they usually reach a compromise through negotiation before the voting.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)