5·18 Distortion Punishment, Extension of the Special Investigation Commission Law... Passed in the National Assembly Plenary Session (Comprehensive)

On the Last Day of the Regular National Assembly, Over 120 Bills Passed the Plenary Session
Key Bills Including Economic 3 Laws and ILO 3 Laws Also Processed
Jodusun Recidivism Prevention Law and Special Employment Insurance Among Livelihood Bills
Ruling and Opposition Parties Expected to Continue Filibuster Until Midnight

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyemin and Lim Chunhan] On the last day of the regular National Assembly session on the 9th, the ruling and opposition parties held a plenary session and processed over 120 non-contentious bills, including the 5·18 Distortion Punishment Act.

◆ 5·18 Distortion Punishment Act and Special Committee on Social Disasters Extension Bill Pass Plenary Session = During the plenary session, the amendment to the Special Act on the 5·18 Democratic Movement was passed, which punishes the dissemination of false information about the 5·18 Democratic Movement with up to five years imprisonment. This bill, proposed as a party stance by the Democratic Party of Korea, had its penalty level reduced from seven years to five years through bipartisan agreement.

Along with this, the plenary session also approved an amendment to the special law allowing the extension of the 5·18 Truth Investigation Commission’s activity period twice for one year each and increasing the commission’s membership from 50 to 70 members.

An amendment to the Special Act on Social Disasters, Truth Investigation, and Construction of a Safe Society was also passed that day. The amendment mainly extends the activity period of the Social Disaster Investigation Committee (Sahchamwi) for investigating the Sewol Ferry disaster and other incidents by one year and six months until June 10, 2022. It also includes provisions to suspend the statute of limitations for crimes related to the Sewol Ferry disaster during the committee’s activity period.

◆ Livelihood Bills Including Automatic Enrollment in Employment Insurance for Special Employment Workers Passed = The plenary session also processed numerous livelihood-related bills.

First, the so-called 'Special Employment Workers 3 Acts' (amendments to the Employment Insurance Act, Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, and Collection Act) were passed, applying employment insurance to special employment workers (teukgo) in 14 industries such as delivery workers and designated drivers. The amendment to the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act limits the exclusion of special employment workers from insurance coverage to cases of maternity leave and leave due to work-related injuries, effectively opening the door for special employment workers to enroll in employment insurance.

An amendment to the Electronic Monitoring Device Attachment Act, which strengthens orders restricting outings and access for child sex offenders like Jo Doo-soon, was also approved. The amendment specifies that if a person ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device is recognized as having a risk of reoffending, additional compliance requirements such as access restrictions can be imposed. It also added 'children and youth commuting times' to the restricted outing times and 'children protection zones' to the prohibited access areas.

An amendment to the Road Traffic Act strengthening safety regulations for electric kickboards was also passed. It requires users to obtain a motorized bicycle license or higher to operate electric kickboards, effectively restricting those under 16 years old, who cannot obtain a license, from riding electric kickboards.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Police Organization Restructuring... Cities with Over One Million Population Designated as 'Special Cities' = The amendment to the Police Act restructuring the police organization was also passed in the plenary session that day.

Accordingly, starting next year, the national police and autonomous police will be separated, and the National Investigation Headquarters (Guksubon) will be established. The autonomous police will be responsible for residents’ daily life, traffic, safety management of mass gatherings, and school violence within their jurisdiction. The national police will handle duties excluding those of the autonomous police, such as security, foreign affairs, and guarding.

The National Investigation Headquarters, to which the National Intelligence Service’s counterintelligence investigation authority will be transferred, will be established within the National Police Agency. The National Police Commissioner will not be able to specifically command or supervise police investigations except for 'urgent and important cases causing serious danger.'

Along with this, the plenary session approved an amendment to the Local Autonomy Act granting special city status to metropolitan cities with populations exceeding one million. Accordingly, four cities?Changwon, Suwon, Yongin, and Goyang?with populations over one million will be designated as special cities, allowing them to have special provisions in administrative and financial operations and national guidance and supervision.

◆ 'Public Disclosure of Lawmaker Attendance' Work-Oriented National Assembly Act Passed = The National Assembly also passed the so-called 'Work-Oriented National Assembly Act,' which publicly discloses lawmakers’ attendance at standing committee meetings on the internet. It also mandates holding extraordinary sessions in March and May and adjusts the timing of government questioning sessions to February, April, and June. Standing committee plenary meetings must be held at least twice a month, and bill review subcommittees at least three times a month, effectively institutionalizing a permanent National Assembly.

The amendment also specifies that in cases where the plenary session cannot be held normally due to first-class infectious diseases such as COVID-19 or natural disasters, remote video meetings can be held by agreement among negotiation groups. This provision is valid until December 31 of next year.

Additionally, the National Assembly adopted a resolution urging the Japanese government to faithfully implement the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations and transparently disclose information regarding the handling of radioactive contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident. A special resolution emphasizing the importance of the Korea-US alliance was also passed in line with the inauguration of the Biden administration in the United States.

Contentious bills such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) 3 Acts allowing dismissed and unemployed persons to join labor unions and the 'Economic 3 Acts,' which limit the voting rights of major shareholders and related parties to 3% when appointing audit committee members, were also passed. The People Power Party participated in the vote but mostly cast opposing votes to express their stance.

The ruling and opposition parties plan to resume the plenary session at 8:30 p.m. to continue deliberations on the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Act (Gongsoocheo Act), amendments to the National Intelligence Service Act, and the South-North Relations Development Act, which includes penalties for leaflet distribution toward North Korea. These bills were filibustered by the People Power Party, making it highly likely that the filibuster will continue until midnight, effectively marking the end of the regular session.

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