Cho Jung-sik of the Democratic Party of Korea delivers an acceptance speech at the first plenary session of the 436th National Assembly on Friday after being elected speaker for the second half of the 22nd National Assembly. [Yonhap]
Cho Jung-sik of the Democratic Party of Korea delivers an acceptance speech at the first plenary session of the 436th National Assembly on Friday after being elected speaker for the second half of the 22nd National Assembly. [Yonhap]

Cho Jung-sik, a six-term Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker representing Siheung in Gyeonggi Province, was elected speaker of the National Assembly for the second half of the 22nd Assembly on Friday.

In a vote held during a plenary session, Cho received 267 of 276 votes cast.

"I am deeply grateful to my fellow lawmakers who have entrusted me with the weighty responsibility of serving as speaker, and to the people of Korea for their support," Cho said in his acceptance remarks.

He said the first half of the 22nd Assembly had been "a parliament that defended the Constitution by overcoming the insurrection crisis," and pledged to carry on that mission. "I again applaud the courage of former Speaker Woo Won-shik and my sunbae and fellow lawmakers, and I promise that the second half of this Assembly will continue, without wavering, to fulfill its duty as the last bastion of democracy," he said.

Cho vowed to restore public confidence in politics by moving swiftly on legislation affecting people's livelihoods, and said he would regularize plenary sessions to make parliamentary operations more predictable. He said he would establish a principle of bringing bills that have cleared standing committees and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to a plenary vote within the same legislative session.

He also proposed designating Dec. 3 as "National Sovereignty Day" and said he would launch an advisory body directly under the speaker to set out a future agenda for South Korea, while pledging to systematize parliamentary diplomacy.

Cho called next year an ideal opportunity to pursue constitutional reform, noting that the 1987 constitutional framework will mark its 40th anniversary and that no nationwide simultaneous elections are scheduled. "I ask that party leaders and fellow lawmakers help ensure that the 22nd National Assembly goes down in Korean parliamentary history as the Assembly that achieved constitutional reform," he said.


addressh@heraldcorp.com