'Prevention of Conflict of Interest for National Assembly Members' National Assembly Act Amendment Passed... Scheduled for Plenary Session on the 29th

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] On the 22nd, the National Assembly Steering Committee passed the "Partial Amendment to the National Assembly Act" (alternative) to prevent conflicts of interest among members of the National Assembly. Accordingly, members of the National Assembly will be required to register private interests of themselves, their spouses, and direct ascendants and descendants, and undergo a review to determine any conflicts of interest.

The amendment to the National Assembly Act was prepared by reviewing the opinion proposal submitted by the Speaker of the National Assembly in November last year along with 11 separate amendment bills to the National Assembly Act, each introduced by 10 members including Kim Seong-won, Kim Nam-guk, and Kang Eun-mi, and integrating and coordinating them centered on the Speaker's opinion proposal.

The reason for separately amending the "National Assembly Act" from the "Public Officials Conflict of Interest Prevention Act," which was passed by the Political Affairs Committee earlier that day, is that the provisions of the Public Officials Conflict of Interest Prevention Act?premised on single-headed institutions such as temporary suspension of duties or reassignment of duties of heads of affiliated institutions?may be difficult to apply directly to the National Assembly, a collegial organization composed of elected officials.

The amendment to the National Assembly Act establishes conflict of interest prevention measures considering the unique characteristics of the National Assembly, such as mandatory registration of private interests of members themselves, their spouses, and direct ascendants and descendants; restrictions on committee appointments for members with potential conflicts of interest; and the introduction of procedures to avoid voting and speaking with the chairperson's permission. It also ensures that no cases arise where weaker regulations than those in the Public Officials Conflict of Interest Prevention Act apply.

Except for matters stipulated in the National Assembly Act, members of the National Assembly are also subject to the Public Officials Conflict of Interest Prevention Act in the same way.

Accordingly, provisions stipulated in the Public Officials Conflict of Interest Prevention Act?such as reporting transactions with related parties, prohibition of private profit or use of public institution goods, prohibition of using confidential information obtained through duties, and reporting obligations of private interest parties?along with criminal penalties and fines for violations, will apply equally to members of the National Assembly.

In cases where members violate obligations related to conflict of interest prevention, such as registration, reporting, and avoidance of private interests, or the Public Officials Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, disciplinary action can be taken under the National Assembly Act. Additionally, the Ethics Review Advisory Committee, which handles members' conflict of interest prevention duties, will have its affiliation changed from the current "Special Ethics Committee" to the "National Assembly," and necessary personnel will be assigned to the committee to strengthen its status and functions.

Kim Tae-nyeon, Chair of the National Assembly Steering Committee, stated, "This amendment to the National Assembly Act expands the scope and range of registration and disclosure of private interests beyond the Public Officials Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, containing unprecedentedly strong conflict of interest prevention measures for members compared to other advanced countries' legislatures." He added, "Contrary to some concerns, we paid special attention during the legislative process to ensure that no cases arise where members are subject to weaker conflict of interest prevention regulations than general public officials. By applying stricter conflict of interest prevention regulations to themselves than to general public officials, members will contribute to creating a fair and clean public service culture."

The amendment to the National Assembly Act passed on this day will undergo systematic and textual review by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and is scheduled for final approval at the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 29th.

The amended provisions will take effect from May 30, 2022, when the second half of the 21st National Assembly begins.

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