The organisation and workings of committees in the Korean national assembly

Abstract

This study discusses the organisation and workings of standing committees in the Korean National Assembly. The formal rules have prescribed a central role for committees in the legislative process. In reality, however, the committees have not functioned as effectively as prescribed. The committees are party‐dominated institutions: political parties control committee appointment and policy deliberation in committees. Furthermore, the committees lack autonomy vis‐à‐vis the parental body and also the executive branch. These overall features of the committees notwithstanding, there exist significant cross‐committee differences in member goals, policy environments, decision‐making processes and decisional outputs. The study stresses a need for the consolidation of the committee system in the Korean National Assembly.