The main parties completed the designation of most of the parliamentary standing committee chairs as the 19th National Assembly is set to open its first plenary session Monday next week.

The ruling Saenuri Party, responsible for 10 out of 18 standing committees, finalized the appointment of nine seats late Wednesday afternoon. The remaining seat for the National Defense Committee is to be filled through a vote by the party members between two candidates, Reps. Hwang Jin-ha and Yoo Seong-min, on Friday.

For the Saenuri Party, the head post for the House Steering Committee went to Rep. Lee Hahn-koo in accordance with the custom of assigning the ruling party’s floor leader to the post.

Former vice construction minister Rep. Kang Ghil-boo will head the Strategy and Finance Committee, while lawyer-turned-politician Rep. Kim Jung-hoon will chair the National Policy Committee.

A former doctor and civic activist Ahn Hong-joon was tapped to head the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee.

The Democratic United Party, also completed the appointment of its eight chairman seats Thursday.

Sharp-tongued Rep. Park Young-sun, a former journalist, will be heading the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. She is infamous for her tough interrogation style. Former professor Rep. Kang Chang-il, who had been active in movements related to the historical dispute between Korea and Japan, will chair the Knowledge Economy Committee.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)