The National Assembly Also Breached, 'Shutdown' Due to COVID... All Schedules Fully Canceled

Reporter Confirmed Positive... Ruling Party Leadership Self-Quarantined
If Nth Infection Becomes Reality... Repeated Closures Possible
Audit Schedule Postponed... Regular National Assembly Operation Uncertain

The National Assembly will be closed for one day on the 27th after a reporter covering a meeting of the Democratic Party of Korea tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) the previous day. Accordingly, major meetings of the Democratic Party of Korea and the United Future Party were canceled, and all standing committee meetings related to the budget session were postponed. The photo shows the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 27th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has reached the National Assembly. After a press reporter tested positive, the National Assembly was closed for the entire day on the 27th, and the settlement review was temporarily suspended. The normal operation of the regular session scheduled to open five days later is also uncertain.

Starting at midnight on the same day, the National Assembly closed the main building, members' office building, communication center, and daycare facilities for disinfection and quarantine work. With access restricted, all legislative schedules, including the standing committees conducting the settlement review, were postponed. On that day alone, settlement reviews were scheduled in 10 standing committees such as the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Planning and Finance Committee, and Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, but all were completely canceled.

Originally, the National Assembly planned to complete most of the settlement reviews at the standing committee level within this month and switch to the regular session mode in September. Except for the weekend, there were three days of leeway, but the closure of the National Assembly disrupted the settlement review schedule. The schedule of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, which ultimately oversees the settlement review, is also likely to be delayed. The subcommittee review scheduled for the 28th will proceed as planned, but detailed reviews through subcommittees and the approval of the settlement bill are fluid, coinciding with the September regular session schedule.

Disinfection work will be carried out for one day, but if additional confirmed cases emerge or the situation worsens, the closure may be extended or repeated. Disruptions to the National Assembly's schedule are inevitable. The ruling and opposition parties had planned to hold the opening ceremony of the regular session on the 1st of next month and proceed with the main regular session schedule, including the negotiation group leaders' speeches on the 7th and 8th, but the COVID-19 variable has made it difficult to foresee even a step ahead. Previously, when a confirmed COVID-19 case visited the National Assembly in February, leading to a temporary closure, the National Assembly's government questioning session was postponed.

Due to a confirmed case of COVID-19 among reporters covering the National Assembly, the main building of the National Assembly was closed on the 27th, and the entrance was firmly locked. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The National Assembly has been operating under an emergency system, but the introduction of a remote work system in preparation for closure is insufficient. The video conferencing system for standing committee meeting rooms and the plenary hall, which the National Assembly Secretariat began building, is expected to be completed only by October. A remote voting system in the plenary hall has not been established either. Currently, among major work systems, only the National Assembly email and administrative agency document requests can be used remotely, leading to criticism that bill proposals are impossible.

The National Assembly is most concerned about additional confirmed cases. It is estimated that about 50 people had direct or indirect contact with the confirmed case. The reporter who tested positive covered the Democratic Party's Supreme Council meeting before undergoing COVID-19 testing. Accordingly, about 30 members of the leadership and party officials, including Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan and floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon, have been classified as first contacts and are under self-quarantine. They will undergo selective testing according to the quarantine authorities' instructions.

A National Assembly official expressed concern, saying, "If additional COVID-19 confirmed cases emerge and the National Assembly closure is repeated, not only legislation but also the National Assembly's functions such as the audit of state affairs could be paralyzed."

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