[The Editors' Verdict] The Last 'Vegetative National Assembly' of the 21st Session

Legislative Record of the 21st National Assembly's Final Regular Session
Not a Single Economic Revitalization Bill Passed
People's Livelihood Ignored Amid Impeachment Games

In the drama "Mr. Sunshine," set against the backdrop of the Shinmiyangyo (the United States expedition to Korea in 1871), Heungseon Daewongun said after a crushing defeat in the war against the United States, "It is the empty victory of America and the full defeat of Joseon." The Daewongun, who had pursued a policy of isolation, used this sophistry to argue that although the Joseon army was militarily defeated, since diplomatic relations were prevented, it was not truly a loss.

Watching the news about international gold prices soaring day after day, this line from Daewongun came to mind, as if swallowing a hundred sweet potatoes, because of the year-end situation in the National Assembly. Gold prices have recently surged, surpassing $2,100 per ounce, and there are forecasts that they will soon break the all-time high of $2,500. Gold, considered a safe asset, has always jumped during global economic crises. Despite a flood of high-priced apartments in Gangnam, there are no buyers, and expensive foreign cars have been discounted since their launch in Korea. This means wealthy asset holders are closing their wallets. The already tough livelihood of the people is showing signs of facing a global economic crisis, yet the political sphere is leisurely caught up in impeachment games, holding next year's national budget hostage.

The Democratic Party of Korea is preparing to forcibly pass impeachment motions against Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairman Lee Dong-kwan and two incumbent prosecutors at the plenary session on the 30th to handle next year's budget bill. In response, the People Power Party argues that they cannot agree to convene a plenary session for political purposes such as impeachment without a bipartisan agreement on the budget bill.

Next year's budget bill is currently under "closed-door review" in a small subcommittee consisting only of the chairman of the National Assembly's Budget and Accounts Special Committee and the party floor leaders. Last year, a similar budget bill for the first year of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, also passed to the small subcommittee around the same time, was handled on December 24, well past the legal deadline of December 2, due to partisan deadlock. While the Democratic Party bears significant responsibility for pushing the impeachment motion with its overwhelming number of seats, it is the ruling party that is holding up next year's budget by trying to block the impeachment motion.

Previously, the People Power Party gave up filibustering during the forced passage of the Yellow Envelope Act and the Broadcasting Three Acts by the Democratic Party to prevent the impeachment motions from being brought to the plenary session, and recently disrupted the Judiciary Committee, which it controls. As a result, over 100 livelihood-related bills are currently pending in the Judiciary Committee.

The legislative record of the 21st National Assembly's last regular session, with about ten days remaining, is even more dismal. According to the National Assembly's bill information system, since the start of this year's regular session in September, only 68 bills have passed the plenary session, and not a single one is aimed at economic revitalization. Urgent economic revitalization bills, such as the Supply Chain Stabilization Support Act to help companies struggling to secure raw materials due to China's export controls, and the re-legislation of the Corporate Restructuring Promotion Act, which expired last month, are still pending in the National Assembly. Additionally, bills such as the High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site Special Act, the Space Aviation Agency Act to foster the space industry, and the Living Logistics Service Development Act allowing unmanned delivery means like drones and robots, are stuck due to partisan differences and will be automatically discarded after the 21st National Assembly ends following next year's general election.

During the Shinmiyangyo war, most of those who lost their lives on the battlefield were poor commoners. As the economic situation worsens, if the passage of essential economic revitalization bills is delayed, the most affected will be the livelihood of the people. After the recent by-election for the mayor of Gangseo District in Seoul last month, both ruling and opposition parties loudly proclaimed their commitment to the people's livelihood. If dereliction of duty continues in this final regular session with only ten days left, they will surely be judged at next year's general election.

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