"As Far as They Can Go"... People Power Party Launches Full-Scale Protest Against 'Half-Passed' Legislation

After Overnight Sit-In, Filibuster and Potential Rallies Outside Parliament
PPP Demands Meeting with President Moon
Unable to Block Vote, But Vows Maximum Resistance

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, Reporter Kim Hyemin and Reporter Lim Chunhan] The People Power Party (PPP) has launched a full-scale protest in response to the ruling party's unilateral push for legislation. Following a third consecutive night-long sit-in at the National Assembly's Rotunda Hall, the PPP is mobilizing all available means, including a filibuster (unlimited debate) and rallies outside the parliament. The party has also requested a meeting with President Moon Jae-in. Although they cannot block the plenary vote due to being outnumbered, their plan appears to be to resist as much as possible within legal boundaries in order to persuade public opinion.

The PPP has decided to block legislative votes as much as they can. On the afternoon of December 9, they plan to launch a filibuster during the plenary session. By prolonging the legislative process through unlimited debate, they aim to highlight, point by point, the problems with both the bills the Democratic Party intends to pass and the way they are being handled. Kim Ki-hyun, a four-term lawmaker, will be the first speaker.

However, in reality, a filibuster cannot prevent the passage of a bill. According to the National Assembly Act, if at least one-third of the total members (100 lawmakers) submit a motion to end the debate, a vote can be held 24 hours later, and if three-fifths of the total members (180 lawmakers) approve, the debate is terminated. With 174 members from the Democratic Party, 3 from the Open Democratic Party, and 4 independents who were formerly with the Democratic Party, the filibuster can be neutralized.

Even if the filibuster is not stopped, the debate will end at midnight, as it is the last day of the regular session. The Democratic Party has already submitted a request to convene an extraordinary session to hold the next plenary meeting, taking this situation into account.

The PPP is aware of its limitations, but has decided to engage in various forms of protest as a strategy to communicate the situation to the public as much as possible and appeal to public opinion. The overnight sit-in at the Rotunda Hall in front of the plenary chamber since December 7 is part of this effort. Party members including Yoon Heesook, Shin Wonsik, and Yoo Euidong are also engaging in public campaigns through their individual Facebook accounts.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the morning of December 9, the PPP held an emergency caucus and officially requested a meeting with President Moon Jae-in. Floor leader Joo Ho-young emphasized, "I just requested a meeting with President Moon. Since he always speaks of cooperation and coexistence, he will not be able to refuse a meeting requested by the opposition floor leader." He added, "At the peak of this appalling legislative fraud is President Moon. I will demand to know what he is thinking as he leads the country."

The possibility of rallies outside the parliament is also being considered. In an interview with YTN Radio, Joo stated, "In the past, Gwanghwamun would have been filled with voices calling for the government's resignation," and added, "If things continue this way, there is no reason for opposition lawmakers to exist," leaving the door open to further action.

At the plenary session scheduled for the afternoon of December 9, all the bills that the Democratic Party passed alone up to the previous day have been placed on the agenda. These include a revision of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) Act, which neutralizes the opposition's veto power; the so-called "Three Economic Laws," which limit the voting rights of the largest shareholder and related parties to 3 percent; and the so-called "ILO (International Labour Organization) Three Laws," which allow the unemployed and dismissed workers to join labor unions. All of these are highly contentious bills with significant disagreement between the ruling and opposition parties.

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