Politics · South Korea · 14 hrs ago
South Korea's opposition lawmakers boycott committee budget review
South Korea's People Power Party lawmakers are boycotting committee budget reviews and other upcoming meetings of parliament's Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
They say they are protesting the ruling Democratic Party's handling of a special counsel bill.
The Democratic Party adopted the bill as its position on Nov.
3, the committee approved it on Nov.
4, and parliament passed it on Nov.
6.
The opposition says the bill could allow a special counsel to create grounds to cancel the president's prosecution, violating the principle that everyone is equal before the law.
These are the opposition lawmakers' claims, and they say the bill has weakened the rule of law.
The boycott is their stated form of protest, though the committee's budget review is an important part of parliament's work overseeing public spending.
They urged the president to request a reconsideration of the bill when it is presented to the Cabinet, and said they are considering a constitutional challenge.
People Power Party lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee said they would skip future committee schedules, including budget deliberations.
They said the boycott was a response to the ruling party’s passage of a special counsel bill concerning alleged fabricated prosecutions.
People Power Party committee members were absent from the committee’s budget subcommittee meeting on November 9.
Kim Han-gyu chaired that meeting.
- Who
- People Power Party lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
- What
- They said they would not attend future committee schedules, including budget deliberations.
- When
- November 9, 2026.
- Where
- The National Assembly in Seoul.
- Why
- They objected to the ruling party’s passage of a special counsel bill concerning alleged fabricated prosecutions.
People Power Party committee lawmakers
Ruling party
Reason for the dispute
People Power Party committee lawmakers
They opposed the ruling party’s passage of the special counsel bill.
Ruling party
It pushed the special counsel bill through, according to the People Power Party lawmakers.
Committee attendance
People Power Party committee lawmakers
They said they would skip future committee schedules.
Ruling party
Not stated
People Power Party committee lawmakers announced they would boycott future committee schedules.
People Power Party members were absent as the committee’s budget subcommittee met under chair Kim Han-gyu.
- Boycott announced
- November 9, 2026
- Committee
- National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee
- Absent lawmakers
- People Power Party committee members
- Meeting chair
- Kim Han-gyu
- Meeting
- Budget subcommittee session
6 sources
What people are saying
We will not attend future committee schedules, including budget deliberations.
Conscience does not allow us to conduct budget deliberations with the ruling party, which has undermined the rule of law.