"Budget Subcommittee Also Public"… Kim Gi-hyeon Proposes Amendment to National Assembly Act

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] The "Closed-Door Budget Prevention Act," which mandates that the entire budget review process in the National Assembly be recorded, was proposed to the National Assembly on the 24th.

Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, announced that he has taken the lead in proposing an amendment to the National Assembly Act that establishes a legal basis for the operation of the Budget and Accounts Special Committee's sub-subcommittee and requires that minutes be kept in the same manner as the subcommittee.

Under current law, committees within the National Assembly may establish subcommittees to review specific agenda items, and subcommittees are required to hold open meetings and keep minutes.

However, the Budget and Accounts Committee (BAC), which reviews budget proposals, has been operating a so-called "sub-subcommittee" consisting only of party floor leaders and the BAC chairperson, citing efficiency. The sub-subcommittee meetings are entirely closed to the public, and no minutes are kept, which has been pointed out as the cause of the so-called "closed-door, opaque budget" process.

In response, Representative Kim proposed a bill that legally recognizes the sub-subcommittee for efficient budget review but requires meetings to be open and minutes to be kept.

Representative Kim explained the legislative intent, saying, "It is time to break away from past bad practices and secure transparency in budget review in line with the public's expectations. Making all discussions public and mandating record-keeping is a duty to the people."

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