National Assembly Steering Committee Approves 'Public Officials Corruption Investigation Office 3 Laws'... Opposition: "Paralyzed Before Kim Yo-jong but Enforcing Parliamentary Dictatorship" (Summary)

National Assembly Steering Committee Approves Amendments to National Assembly Act and Personnel Hearing Act... Kim Tae-nyeon: "Approved Today Considering Urgency"
Rules for Recommendation Committee of Corruption Investigation Office Chief Passed After Deleting 'Speaker Designates Negotiation Groups' Clause
United Future Party: "Subcommittee Must Be Formed, Democratic Party Violates National Assembly Act" Abstains from Vote After Procedural Speech
Democratic Party: "Not Illegal Without Subcommittee... United Future Party Violated National Assembly Act"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] The 'PCA 3 Acts' for the selection of the head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (PCA) passed the National Assembly Steering Committee. Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties engaged in heated debates over the National Assembly Act procedures and the standing committee's process, while members of the United Future Party did not participate in the vote.

On the afternoon of the 29th, Kim Tae-nyeon, chairman of the National Assembly Steering Committee, stated at the full meeting held at the National Assembly, "Although the PCA Act has already been enforced, the PCA has yet to be launched, and considering the urgency of prosecutorial reform, we have inevitably convened today's meeting," adding, "Since the subcommittee has not yet been formed and considering the urgency, we intend to proceed with the resolution at today's full meeting," and proceeded with the vote on the PCA 3 Acts.

◆ Clause 'The Speaker of the National Assembly designates negotiation groups' deleted from the rules= The bills that passed the standing committee threshold that day were the amendments to the Personnel Hearing Act and the National Assembly Act, and the establishment of the PCA Chief Candidate Recommendation Committee Operating Rules.

The amendment to the Personnel Hearing Act includes the PCA chief as a subject of personnel hearings, and the amendment to the National Assembly Act stipulates that the PCA's jurisdictional standing committee shall be the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

The establishment of the PCA Chief Candidate Recommendation Committee Operating Rules includes ▲ the Speaker of the National Assembly must promptly form the PCA Chief Candidate Recommendation Committee ▲ the Speaker may request recommendations of members from negotiation groups in writing within a set deadline, and each negotiation group must recommend members within the requested deadline. However, the original rule clause stating, "If no recommendation is made by the deadline, the Speaker may designate a negotiation group to request member recommendations," was deleted.

Kim Young-jin, the ruling party's senior deputy representative and the proposer of the amendment to the recommendation committee rules, explained, "This is a bill suited to a multi-party system, not a one-ruling, one-opposition party system, and in the current two-party system, it could cause misunderstandings," adding, "It could be misunderstood that if the United Future Party does not recommend (committee members), the Democratic Party could recommend again by the Speaker's authority." Earlier that day, Kim Jin-ae, floor leader of the Open Democratic Party, questioned, "If the United Future Party does not recommend PCA chief recommendation committee members, will the Speaker then recommend again to the Democratic Party since only one negotiation group remains?"

◆ United Future Party protests, "Democratic Party pushes through under Blue House's orders... while trembling before Kim Yo-jong" United Future Party lawmakers left the meeting room after only the first procedural speech at the standing committee's full meeting that day.

United Future Party lawmaker Kim Tae-heum said in his procedural speech, "Yesterday at the Planning and Finance Committee, I felt anger, sorrow, and helplessness watching the ruling party's behavior," and criticized, "Even if urgent, the subcommittee should be formed to pass the bill properly, and procedures should be followed at today's Steering Committee as well."

He continued, "I know the reason. The Blue House ordered to finish it by the July National Assembly session, but procedures should still be followed," and criticized, "The power of parliamentary dictatorship has been pushed through since the formation of the National Assembly. Let's abide by the National Assembly Act."

United Future Party lawmaker Lee Yang-su said, "(The Democratic Party) did not agree on the legislative schedule," adding, "Usually, concurrent standing committees (including the Steering Committee) do not meet on days when other standing committees meet. This is a long-standing practice of the Steering Committee," and said, "Regarding the recommendation committee operating rules, a subcommittee should be formed for proper alternative debate." He also criticized, "What happened in the Public Administration and Security Committee, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, and Legislation and Judiciary Committee destroyed the separation of powers and parliamentary principles," and added, "Yet Democratic Party lawmakers are laughing as if they have won a great victory."

United Future Party lawmaker Park Dae-chul said, "Do you think having 176 seats is a license for dictatorship? Are the people who support the United Future Party not citizens?" and said, "While trembling before Kim Yo-jong, how can you be so confident against the opposition? Please show even 1% of the consideration you show to North Korea to the opposition."

Justice Party floor leader Bae Jin-kyo also raised issues with the standing committee's operation, saying, "It's not only bills proposed by the Democratic Party in the National Assembly, but it seems only bills proposed by the Democratic Party are selectively submitted, and other lawmakers' bills that require merging and deliberation by a set date were not submitted," adding, "The National Assembly does not only process bills on the dates and bills the Democratic Party wants."

◆ Democratic Party: "Not illegal even without forming a subcommittee... PCA should have been established" Democratic Party lawmakers countered that the United Future Party violated the National Assembly Act and that passing bills in the standing committee without forming a subcommittee is not illegal.

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee So-young said, "Since early June, I have repeatedly said that the National Assembly Act must be followed," and explained, "The reason for submitting these three bills among many is that the PCA Act was enforced on the 15th, and the PCA should have been established by the enforcement date," adding, "The fact that the PCA is not established is rather a violation of the law," and criticized, "Is waiting endlessly for the opposition cooperation really cooperation?"

Democratic Party lawmaker Heo Young also emphasized, "Since the 19th National Assembly, there have been cases where full meetings were held and work reports received without going through subcommittees. Such situations are not illegal at all."

Kim Young-jin, the committee's senior deputy representative, said, "The PCA 3 Acts include rules such as personnel hearings being held in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the PCA chief being under the jurisdiction of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee," and requested, "I ask the chairman to proceed with the legislative schedule as planned as a minimum duty to the public."

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