Opposition Political Affairs Committee Opposes 'Park Young-sun Candidate' Conflict of Interest Prevention Act... "Thorough Review to Avoid Side Effects"

"Conflict of Interest Prevention Act Review to Begin Today at 2 PM"
Legal Action Considered Against Candidate Park Young-sun for Spreading False Information
"Urgent Need for Legislation but Must Create Good Law"

Seong Il-jong, the Whip of the People Power Party's Political Affairs Committee, and other committee members are holding a press conference on the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act at the National Assembly Communication Center on the 31st. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Members of the People Power Party belonging to the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee stated on the 31st, "Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party candidate for Seoul mayor, falsely claimed during yesterday's debate that the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act has not passed due to opposition from the opposition party and that the chairman of the bill subcommittee from the People Power Party is not cooperating," adding, "We plan to review all legal measures."

On this day, People Power Party political affairs committee members said in a statement, "We have never opposed the enactment of the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act," and "Anyone can understand this by checking the minutes of the two bill subcommittee meetings of the Political Affairs Committee so far." They continued, "Rather, members of the ruling party subcommittee were absent from meetings or did not ask questions and only stayed in their seats," emphasizing, "The bill subcommittee for reviewing the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act will be held today from 2 p.m."

They further urged, "The schedule has already been agreed upon by both ruling and opposition parties and the notice has been issued," adding, "If the chairman of the bill subcommittee from the opposition party did not cooperate, how would today's meeting be held? We ask candidate Park Young-sun to respond."

People Power Party lawmakers said that while the enactment of the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act is urgent, it must be carefully reviewed to create a good law.

The political affairs committee members of the People Power Party said, "Candidate Park Young-sun and the ruling party are trying to pass the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act before the election to divert attention from the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) scandal, which is a negative factor for their election," and questioned, "Should this law be made to help candidate Park Young-sun's election?"

They also said, "If hastily made, it will have significant side effects like the Kim Young-ran Act, which initially set the gift limit for agricultural and livestock products at 50,000 won but was later raised to 200,000 won," adding, "We must not create another law that causes pain to the people like the three lease laws."

Moreover, they stated, "This bill is a voluminous enactment law," and "Such an important law cannot be reviewed with the predetermined conclusion that it 'must be passed before the election.'"

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, appeared on KBS Radio's Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current program on the same day and said, "I do not deny the necessity of the law itself," but added, "However, there must be a distinction between necessity and making it carelessly and messily."

Floor leader Joo emphasized that a proper bill should be created by holding public hearings on the controversial issues before the enactment of the law. He pointed out, "There is a saying that an unskilled person harms others. It would be good if the power of numbers could make it more precise, but when attention is diverted elsewhere and problems arise, people make a fuss and create laws carelessly, causing side effects repeatedly," adding, "Ahead of the election, because conflicts of interest arise in places like LH, this kind of chaos happens again."

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