The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) has tapped five-term lawmaker Kim Jin-pyo as its candidate for the next National Assembly Speaker.

Kim edged out five-term lawmakers Lee sang-min and Cho Jeong-sik, as well as four-term lawmaker Woo Sang-ho, earning 89 votes out of 166.

Kim served as the deputy prime minister during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and also headed the de facto presidential transition committee of the previous Moon-Jae-in administration.

He has vowed to make the National Assembly a political body where the legal, administrative and judicial powers are firmly separated, and where its members can fully demonstrate their capabilities and achieve great things.

Having previously made partisan remarks, saying that “the blood of the Democratic Party runs in his veins” and that he will “do his best for the party,” it is expected that he will face harsh criticism from the ruling People Power Party.

Four-term lawmaker Kim Young-joo, who served as the labor minister for former President Moon Jae-in, was selected as the DP's candidate for its deputy speaker.