PPP says Speaker Woo ‘committed outrage’ with filibuster halt

Dec 10, 2025, 08:54 am

		0
Na Kyung-won, a lawmaker of the People Power Party, begins a filibuster on a revision to the Act on the Fairness of Franchise Transactions, as lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties clash heatedly at the podium during a plenary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 9. / Source: Yonhap News

The opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday blasted National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik for cutting short a filibuster by its lawmaker Na Kyung-won, saying he had “committed an outrage” and vowing to review legal action against him.

Na, who took the floor on the final day of the regular session on Dec. 9 to launch a filibuster against a revision to the franchise business law, had her speech repeatedly interrupted when Speaker Woo turned off her microphone, claiming her remarks were unrelated to the agenda. As tensions escalated, Woo declared a recess about two hours after the filibuster began.

Speaking to reporters after the session was suspended, Na accused the ruling Democratic Party of what she called “legislative dictatorship.”

“Democratic Party lawmakers have taken legislative dictatorship too far,” she said. “While I was conducting a filibuster, the speaker cut off my microphone. It is an attempt to gag a minority opposition party.”

Na argued that Woo’s actions amounted to an abuse of authority that exceeded his powers to maintain order and preside over the chamber. “This goes beyond the speaker’s authority to maintain order or exercise the gavel,” she said. “It is an abuse of power by the speaker. He is acting just like former Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair Choo Mi-ae.”

She also contended that there are no clear rules that narrowly define the relevance of remarks in a filibuster.

“When it comes to whether remarks during a filibuster are related to the bill, there are no specific rules or provisions,” she said. “Look at how widespread the abuse of authority by the speaker and committee chairs has become in the National Assembly.”

Na urged the Democratic Party to withdraw what the PPP calls the “five judicial destruction bills” and the “three gag bills,” instead of trying to strip the minority opposition of its right to unlimited debate.

“The Democratic Party must not try to take away the minority opposition’s right to filibuster through parliamentary dictatorship,” she said. “They should immediately withdraw the so-called five ‘judicial destruction bills’ and three ‘gag bills.’ And for the record, when they talk about microphones, ours was for recording.”

She went on to say that Speaker Woo should apologize for abusing his authority. “If the speaker does not apologize for this abuse of power, I will discuss with our floor leadership how to hold him responsible, as I have directly addressed this in my remarks under his own interpretation of the rules,” Na said.

PPP floor leader Song Eon-seok also visited the speaker’s office to lodge a protest and later told reporters that the party would push for legal measures.

“Speaker Woo conducted the plenary session in a way that defies common sense and has no precedent. It was an outrageous way to run the session,” Song said. “By unilaterally declaring a recess, he effectively neutralized the filibuster. We demand an apology from the speaker.”

Song claimed Woo’s intention was to drag the recess out until midnight so that the session would automatically end.

“The speaker has, in effect, sabotaged the proceedings of the plenary session that he himself is supposed to preside over,” he said. “It seems his hidden intention was to extend the recess until midnight and thereby induce the automatic adjournment of the session.”

He added that the PPP would consider legal steps in response. “Along with calling for an apology from the National Assembly speaker, we will review legal action,” Song said. “When the speaker demands regret or an apology over the content of a lawmaker’s speech, that borders on overstepping his authority. It would be more appropriate for the speaker to apologize first.”

#People Power Party #Woo Won-shik #Na Kyung-won #filibuster #legal action