On Tuesday, May 17, 2022, the National Assembly Research Service (Chief Kim Man-heum) hosted the 11th International Seminar for Parliamentary Research Services as an online video conference—the first time in three years, as the seminar had been suspended after its 10th running in 2019 due to the outbreak of COVID-19. NARS held the first such international seminar back in 2010.

  Under the theme “Challenges of COVID-19 and Response of Representative Democracy and the Role of Parliament,” the seminar featured four sessions involving delegates of national assembly/congressional research services from 21 different countries including CRS (Congressional Research Service, USA) and EPRS (European Parliamentary Research Service).

  Douglas Grob and Shamila Choudhury, researchers from CRS, introduced how CRS supported the US Congress to pass major bills during the period of the COVID-19 crisis. All delegates shared and discussed their empirical experiences in responding to the pandemic. In particular, Yusuke Seko, a researcher from Japan, highlighted the financial crisis stemming from the pandemic at the provincial level.

  Park Byeong-seug (Speaker of National Assembly) made his congratulatory speech on the video, saying “it is expected that each country’s national assembly research services—which serve as a think tank of their respective parliament—will discuss measures to cooperate at the world level for the safety and stability of all people.” Kim Man-heum (Chief of National Assembly Research Service) also said that “wisdom gathered here today will be a gear for wise response to the future challenges,” and he wished for further strengthening of constructive cooperation among parliamentary research services around the world.