Ruling and Opposition Parties Reach Agreement for Next Week's Plenary Session... 'Green Light' for Passing Livelihood Bills

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The ruling and opposition parties have tentatively agreed to convene the last extraordinary session of the 20th National Assembly next week and hold a plenary session. This has turned on a green light for the passage of major livelihood bills that had been delayed due to conflicts between the parties.

Kim Young-jin, the Chief Deputy Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Sung-won, the Chief Deputy Floor Leader of the United Future Party, met at the National Assembly on the 12th and tentatively agreed on this legislative schedule. The specific schedule is expected to be finalized at a meeting between Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, and Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the United Future Party, on the 13th.

There are about 15,000 bills pending in the 20th National Assembly. The Democratic Party considers it physically difficult to process all these bills and is expected to select essential bills and negotiate with the opposition party.

The most urgent bills to be processed include those related to the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The 'Public Medical School Act,' which establishes a national public health medical university to train public medical personnel and requires them to work compulsorily for 10 years in medically underserved areas, is considered a priority bill. Also urgent are the amendments to the School Health Act, which provide grounds for suspending attendance for students and staff arriving from countries with infectious disease outbreaks to prevent the spread of infectious diseases within schools, and the amendments to the Immigration Control Act to tighten quarantine measures during immigration procedures.

The 'N-beonbang Recurrence Prevention Act' is also on the agenda. Specifically, related bills include the amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act, which requires information and communication service providers to designate persons responsible for preventing the distribution of illegal filming materials and submit annual transparency reports to the Korea Communications Commission, and the amendment to the Youth Protection Act, which changes the term 'child and adolescent pornography' to 'child and adolescent sexual exploitation materials' and allows punishment for the production and distribution of sexual exploitation materials even if not for profit.

The 'Past Affairs Act' for investigating human rights violations such as the Brothers Home incident is expected to pass smoothly. Earlier, the ruling and opposition parties agreed on the 7th to pass the amendment to the Basic Act on Past Affairs for Truth and Reconciliation in the 20th National Assembly. This agreement was reached following a three-day high-altitude protest by victims of the Brothers Home incident at the entrance roof of the National Assembly Members' Office Building starting on the 5th.

In addition, bills related to the comprehensive real estate tax law and income tax law amendments concerning the December 16 real estate measures, follow-up bills for the establishment of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HOCI), and bills such as the Tax Accountant Act and the Teachers' Union Act, which were declared unconstitutional, are also on the ruling party's list of essential bills.

However, while the United Future Party basically agrees to the processing of livelihood bills, it is expected to take different stances depending on individual bills. Lee Jong-bae, the Policy Committee Chair of the United Future Party, previously stated, "We will cooperate if the bills align with our party's values and meet the public's expectations," adding, "We will review the contents of the bills more thoroughly and decide our position after consultations with the relevant standing committees."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.