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| ▲ A photo of Rep. Kim Jin-pyo, the main opposition Democratic Party's candidate for the new National Assembly speaker (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ A file photo of the main opposition Democratic Party Rep. Kim Young-joo (Yonhap) |
assembly speaker-candidate
Rep. Kim Jin-pyo picked as National Assembly speaker candidate
SEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Tuesday selected five-term lawmaker Kim Jin-pyo as its candidate for the next National Assembly speaker in a general meeting of its lawmakers, party officials said.
Kim is expected to ultimately become the speaker, as it is customary for the largest party in terms of parliamentary seats to take the speaker position, with two vice speaker seats divided between the ruling and main opposition parties.
The DP holds 167 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly.
The 75-year-old Kim passed the high civil service exam in 1974 after graduating from Seoul National University and has spent most of his career as a bureaucrat in the finance ministry.
He served as the finance minister in 2003 and education minister in 2005 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration.
The DP said it aims to call a plenary session and vote for Kim's endorsement before Sunday, when the current chair, Park Byeong-seug, is set to step down.
Four-term lawmaker Rep. Kim Young-joo, who served as the labor minister for former President Moon Jae-in, was selected as the DP's candidate for the assembly's vice speaker.
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