South Korea's National Assembly is convening a two-week-long extraordinary session starting on this Friday.
Bringing an end to over 40 days of inaction,... rival parties start this morning by electing a parliamentary speaker and two vice speakers for the latter half of the 20th National Assembly.
For the latest, we connect to our political correspondent Kim Min-ji.
Min-ji, fill us in.
Semin, as you touched upon... the plenary session is underway as we speak.
The National Assembly is back in action after more than six weeks of inactivity.
The latter half of the 20th National Assembly will indeed kick off with the electing of the assembly speaker and two vice speakers -- filling in the key assembly leadership posts that have sat vacant for over a month.
As is custom, the largest party -- currently the ruling Democratic Party of Korea -- has put forward its candidate for speaker.
Moon Hee-sang, a six term lawmaker, was selected as the ruling party candidate back in May,... just as the term of the former speaker expired.
Two vice speakers will come from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, and the minor Bareun Mirae Party.
Their candidates are five-term lawmaker Lee Ju-young,... and four term lawmaker Joo Seung-yong.
The parliamentary speaker and vice speakers will be elected by a majority vote.
Now, Min-ji,... this is just the start. We understand the rival parties have got a lot on their plate for the duration of this July session...
Yes.
Due to over a month of paralysis -- they've got a stack of agenda items to work through.
Next Monday, a plenary session will be held to finalize the make-up of the parliament's 18 standing committees.
The ruling party will chair eight of them, the main opposition seven, the Bareun Mirae Party two, and the joint bloc of the Party for Democracy and Peace and the Justice Party will head up one.
They will also vote on the National Assembly Act to separate the committee on education, culture, sports and tourism into two separate ones -- one in charge of education and the other the remaining affairs.
Also on the agenda are confirmation hearings for the candidate for commissioner general of the National Police Agency,... and three nominees for Supreme Court justices.
Now, although we're back on track and despite the fact it was a much needed breakthrough... there are concerns of political wrangling down the line,.... with rival lawmakers expected to clash during the upcoming confirmation hearings,... not to mention the mountain of disputed bills that have to be reviewed.
Back to you Semin.
