Chairman Kim Jin-pyo: "We will hold a plenary session on the 8th and 9th"... Proceeding with the dismissal motion after budget approval (Comprehensive)

"Apologies to the Public for Failing to Pass the Budget Bill Within the Legal Deadline"
Continued Mediation Efforts on Political Issues Including the Dismissal Recommendation
Plan to Report Dismissal Recommendation After Budget Bill Passage on the 8th, Followed by Budget Procedures on the 9th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo apologized to the public on the 2nd for failing to meet the legal deadline for the budget bill. Speaker Kim also expressed his intention to hold plenary sessions on the 8th and 9th to process the budget bill. This is interpreted as a plan to prioritize the budget bill first, then review and process the motion to dismiss Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min.

In a ‘Speaker’s Statement’ issued that day, Kim said, "Today is the legal deadline for the budget bill as stipulated by the Constitution, but we have not completed the review of next year’s national finances," and apologized, saying, "As the Speaker, I am sorry to the people."

He continued, "In the midst of a global complex economic crisis, with soaring prices and interest rates, and even exports, which serve as the backbone of our economy, showing sluggishness," adding, "I believe that the prompt processing of next year’s budget bill is the National Assembly’s top priority task to revive the people’s economy, take care of welfare for socially vulnerable groups, and strengthen national security and public safety."

He said, "If the ruling and opposition parties continue confrontations over ‘political issues,’ it will be difficult to process the budget bill, so I have continuously urged the floor leaders of both parties and the government to prioritize agreeing on the budget bill processing schedule," and added, "Regarding the ‘political issues’ on which the parties differ, I will continue discussions and do my best as the Speaker to coordinate and mediate so that solutions suitable to the public’s expectations can be found."

The political issue mentioned by the Speaker appears to refer to the motion to dismiss Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min. It seems he intends to act as a mediator between the Presidential Office and the ruling and opposition parties regarding the handling of the dismissal motion.

Kim said, "Since the implementation of the National Assembly Innovation Act in 2014, even when the legal deadline for the budget bill was not met, the budget was processed within the regular session," and added, "This time as well, it must be processed within the regular session." Regarding this, he said, "To fulfill the authority and responsibility given to the National Assembly, we plan to hold plenary sessions on the 8th and 9th."

The Speaker’s intention regarding the budget bill processing is interpreted as prioritizing the budget bill first, then proceeding with the dismissal motion and others. A spokesperson from the Speaker’s office explained, "The People Power Party insists that the budget bill should be processed first, followed by the dismissal motion and others, so the plan is to prioritize the budget bill," and added, "Since the dismissal motion requires a vote, holding two sessions also reflects the demands of the Democratic Party of Korea."

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