17th National Assembly of South Korea

17th National Assembly of South Korea
National Assembly of the Republic of Korea · South Korea-Gov · source
Name	17th National Assembly of South Korea
Native name	제17대 국회
Legislature	National Assembly
House type	Unicameral
Members	299
Election	2004 South Korean legislative election
Term start	2004-05-30
Term end	2008-05-29

17th National Assembly of South Korea was the unicameral legislature seated from 30 May 2004 to 29 May 2008 following the 2004 South Korean legislative election, convening during the presidency of Roh Moo-hyun and the early term of Lee Myung-bak's presidency. The term oversaw pivotal interactions among parties such as the Uri Party, Grand National Party, Millennium Democratic Party, Democratic Party (2000) and United Liberal Democrats and presided over landmark legislation, high-profile investigations, and realignments that influenced the political trajectory of the Korean Peninsula and relations with United States–South Korea relations, Japan–South Korea relations, and North Korea–South Korea relations.

Background and Election

The 2004 election, held on 15 April 2004, followed the impeachment of Roh Moo-hyun by the National Assembly and subsequent reinstatement by the Constitutional Court of Korea, events linked to disputes involving the Grand National Party and the Uri Party. The campaign reflected contestation between figures such as Kim Dae-jung, Lee Hae-chan, Park Geun-hye, Roh Moo-hyun allies, and opposition leaders like Kim Young-sam's contemporaries and drew attention from international observers including representatives connected to United Nations missions and embassies in Seoul. Electoral dynamics involved proportional representation lists, single-member districts in constituencies across provinces such as Gyeonggi Province, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, and cities such as Daejeon and Ulsan. Key campaign issues included relations with North Korea, the legacy of the Sunshine Policy, economic restructuring involving IMF-era reforms, and social policy debates influenced by actors like Kim Jong-pil and Roh Moo-hyun supporters.

Composition and Membership

The Assembly comprised 299 members: 245 elected from constituencies and 54 by proportional representation. Major party delegations included the Uri Party plurality, the conservative Grand National Party, and smaller groups such as the Democratic Party (2000), Millennium Democratic Party, United Liberal Democrats, and independents linked to figures like Lee Hoi-chang, Chung Mong-joon, and Moon Jae-in. Regional representation highlighted strong showings by the Grand National Party in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, while the Uri Party performed well in Gwangju and parts of Jeolla Province. Membership turnover included high-profile newcomers and legislative veterans such as Park Geun-hye, Ahn Cheol-soo-era civic actors, and former ministers from cabinets of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun. Ethnic Korean diaspora issues engaged members with links to Korean Americans, Zainichi Koreans, and diasporic constituencies.

Leadership and Parliamentary Groups

Assembly leadership featured the Speaker and Deputy Speakers elected by members, with intra-party contests involving politicians like Park Jae-chan-style figures and factional leaders associated with Roh Moo-hyun's circle, the Millennium Democratic Party remnants, and conservative blocs under leaders such as Park Geun-hye and Lee Hoi-chang. Parliamentary groups organized along party lines: the Uri Party parliamentary caucus, the Grand National Party assembly floor leadership, and mixed groups combining independents and small-party representatives linked to politicians like Kim Jong-pil. The Assembly coordinated with executive branch ministries including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Finance and Economy, and the Ministry of Unification on oversight and legislative agendas, and interfaced with institutions such as the Constitutional Court of Korea, Blue House (South Korea), and the National Election Commission.

Legislative Activity and Major Bills

Major legislative initiatives included bills on judicial reform debated with figures from the Constitutional Court of Korea and the Supreme Court of Korea, revisions to election law influenced by the National Election Commission, amendments related to anti-corruption measures that connected to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission agenda, and economic legislation impacting relations with international actors like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Significant laws addressed welfare policy, labor regulation debated alongside trade union leaders linked to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and Federation of Korean Trade Unions, and national security statutes affecting Korean People's Army contingencies. High-profile legislative battles involved debates over budget appropriations tied to the Ministry of Finance and Economy, foreign policy oversight vis-à-vis United States–South Korea relations and the Six-Party Talks, and contentious measures on media regulation engaging outlets such as KBS, MBC, and YTN.

Committees and Oversight

Committee structure mirrored parliamentary norms with standing committees on Foreign Affairs and Unification, National Defense, Finance and Economy, Education, Science and Technology, Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, and Legislation and Judiciary. Committee chairs and ranking members included legislators with prior cabinet or diplomatic experience connected to institutions like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Blue House advisors, and former ambassadors to nations including the United States, China, and Japan. Oversight activity encompassed hearings into executive agencies such as the National Intelligence Service, investigations related to corporate conglomerates like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG, and probes concerning high-profile incidents that drew attention from civil society organizations including People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and Transparency International observers.

Key Events and Controversies

Notable controversies included continued fallout from the Roh Moo-hyun impeachment process, corruption investigations implicating lawmakers and business leaders tied to chaebol networks, and public protests organized by civic groups, labor unions, and student movements linked to universities such as Seoul National University and Yonsei University. Scandals involving intelligence operations raised questions about the National Intelligence Service's political role, while legislative standoffs over media reform, labor law amendments, and pension policy generated clashes between the Uri Party and the Grand National Party. Diplomatic tensions with Japan over history and fisheries, and with North Korea over nuclear issues during the period of the Six-Party Talks, also shaped plenary debates and committee inquiries.

Dissolution and Legacy

The 17th Assembly concluded on 29 May 2008, succeeded by a new legislature elected amid shifting political alignments that propelled the Grand National Party under Lee Myung-bak to greater influence. Its legacy includes institutional precedents in parliamentary oversight of intelligence services, legislative approaches to anti-corruption that informed subsequent reforms by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, realignment of progressive forces that contributed to formations like the later Democratic Party of Korea, and policy footprints on social welfare and foreign relations that shaped interactions with the United States, Japan, China, and North Korea. The term is studied in analyses by scholars at institutions such as Korea University, Sejong Institute, Korea Development Institute, and by international think tanks including the Brookings Institution and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Category:National Assembly (South Korea) Category:2004 establishments in South Korea Category:2008 disestablishments in South Korea