The floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party on Friday raised the need to swiftly open an extraordinary parliamentary session in July to complete the formation of standing committees.

Rival parties on Wednesday launched negotiations over the formation of the 18 committees that will operate in the second half of the 20th parliament's four-year term in an effort to normalize an idle National Assembly.

They barely started consultations this week even though former Speaker Chung Sye-kyun's two-year term ended in late May.

Opposition parties have been grappling with their huge defeat in the June 13 local elections.

"The National Assembly came to wrap up the June session without completing the negotiations on committee formation," Hong Young-pyo, the DP's floor leader, said at a meeting with senior party officials.

"It is urgent to complete the consultations as soon as possible. ... We should show to the public that we care about people's livelihood and welfare by opening a parliamentary session next month, even for just a week," he stressed.

Tough negotiations are expected over the election of the parliamentary chairmanship and the distribution of standing committees.

The governing DP said that the parliamentary leadership, including a new speaker, should be decided first. But opposition parties claimed that the election of the parliamentary chairmanship should be handled in tandem with the allocation of standing committees.

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party is reportedly sticking to plans to defend key committee chairmanships to prevent the DP from controlling the legislative branch.

"(Committee formation) should be done in a way that opposition parties should adequately play a role of check and balance," Kim Sung-tae, the floor leader of the LKP, said.

The minor opposition Bareunmirae Party called on parties to wrap up the talks on the committees early next month. (Yonhap)