Why did former Speaker Lee Man-seop become non-partisan?

When the late former National Assembly Speaker Lee Man-seop assumed the chairmanship of the first half of the 14th National Assembly in 1993 as a member of the Democratic Liberal Party, his nomination came from then-President Kim Young-sam. However, when he transitioned to the chairmanship of the first half of the 16th National Assembly in 2000, having changed his party affiliation to the New Millennium Democratic Party, he began advocating for the idea that the chairman should not be aligned with any particular party. This sentiment culminated in March 2002, during his tenure as chairman, when the National Assembly Act was promulgated, formally prohibiting the National Assembly speaker from maintaining party affiliation. Consequently, he promptly renounced his membership in the New Millennium Democratic Party. Reports hailed him as the first non-partisan Speaker of the National Assembly since the inauguration of the Constitutional National Assembly in 1948.

He served as a member of the National Assembly since the 6th National Assembly in 1963. He reminisced that he regretted the maneuvering within the National Assembly throughout his life, which was why he expressed his lifelong wish to become a fair mediator without worrying about the Blue House or his political party.

Even when asked, "Can you afford not to consider your party's stance?" Lee replied, "Even if leaving my party affiliation may seem unfair, as I may eventually return to it, it's still better than not leaving at all."

In fact, despite being appointed by President Kim Young-sam, he rebuffed Kim's request to expedite the handling of several crucial bills, including the Political Party Act, National Security Planning Department Act, Communication Secrets Protection Act, and the budget, all within the legal deadline in December 1993, during his tenure as Speaker of the 14th National Assembly. During a Blue House luncheon, Lee directly addressed President Kim, saying, "You used to oppose such tactics; why employ them now?" before promptly leaving. Instead, former Chairman Lee passed the bills through consensus between the ruling and opposition parties, after the deadline requested by President Kim. He regarded this period as the most fulfilling of his chairmanship.

Contemplating the legacy of former Speaker Lee, it is hard not to sense a regression in politics over the years.

Reflecting on Lee's resolute independence during his tenure as Speaker of the National Assembly, the current trend of "puppet declarations" appears lamentable in comparison. As one former lawmaker aptly remarked, "Political parties seem to be absent in Korea now. We’re in the era of dominant YouTube media.” He expressed concern that political parties are now dysfunctional, relying heavily on strong fan bases.

In his inaugural address at the 16th National Assembly, former Speaker Lee asserted, "Every time I wield the gavel, it shall resound as the gavel of conscience—once directed towards the ruling party, once towards the opposition, and finally towards the people." He emphasized that the gavel itself carries little weight and strikes easily. When the Speaker of the 22nd National Assembly strikes the gavel, where will they look and how will they feel the weight of the gavel?