National Assembly's Committee on National Integration Urges Constitutional Amendment Special Committee... Park Byeong-seok "Will Convey Opinions Once Each Party's Candidate Is Decided"

National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok is taking a commemorative photo on the 30th at the National Assembly before Yoon Ho-jung, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader of the People Power Party, hold a meeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The National Assembly’s National Integration Committee has urged the formation of a special committee for constitutional amendment.

On the 14th, the National Assembly’s National Integration Committee held a plenary meeting at the National Assembly, where Yoo In-tae, Chair of the Political Subcommittee, announced the "Proposal (Draft) on Political System and Constitutional Order Reform for Conflict Mitigation and National Integration."

Speaker of the National Assembly Park Byeong-seok, co-chairs Im Chae-jung and Kim Hyung-o, Chair of the Economic Subcommittee Kim Kwang-rim, and Chair of the Social Subcommittee Im Hyun-jin participated via video.

Through the proposal (draft), Chair Yoo stated, "The current winner-takes-all power structure and parliamentary and party systems structurally provoke confrontation and conflict, hindering national integration," and proposed "to promptly form a 'Special Committee on Constitutional Amendment and Political Reform (Constitutional Special Committee)' in the National Assembly to begin discussions, and to complete the restructuring of the power system and electoral reform through bipartisan agreement before the end of this regular session of the National Assembly, then submit the agreed constitutional amendment to a national referendum."

Co-chair Kim Hyung-o expressed concerns that "it is difficult to maintain the purity of constitutional amendment discussions at a time approaching the presidential election." Speaker Park Byeong-seok said, "Once each party’s candidate is decided, we plan to convey the opinions of the National Integration Committee in some form," and regarding Co-chair Kim Hyung-o’s opinion on the timing of the constitutional amendment, he added, "It is necessary to respect the consensus reached in the Political Subcommittee."

Chair of the Economic Subcommittee Kim Kwang-rim emphasized, "It is necessary to promote nine major tasks: real estate, labor, social safety net, regulation, innovative growth, education, fair economy, win-win growth, and finance," and urged, "to establish a social grand compromise body for integrated and comprehensive agreements by sector, and to set up an organization under the Speaker of the National Assembly to promptly handle economic-related bills pending in the National Assembly through bipartisan agreement."

Chair of the Social Subcommittee Im Hyun-jin stated, "To expand social solidarity and inclusion, conflicts related to generations, classes, jobs, gender, digital divide, isolation and exclusion, and innovation must be resolved," and stressed that coalition politics should be realized. He also emphasized the importance of proposing complex solutions for labor, welfare, and innovation, such as nationwide social insurance based on income.

The National Assembly’s National Integration Committee officially launched in February when Speaker Park Byeong-seok appointed a total of 23 advisory members to discuss national integration tasks in response to social conflicts and divisions and the changed social environment after COVID-19.

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