Ruling and Opposition Parties to Hold 'Council' Without Choi Sangmok on March 6 (Comprehensive)

Discussions on Supplementary Budget, Special Act on Semiconductors, and Other Key Issues

The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to hold a "Ruling and Opposition Parties National Policy Council" meeting, excluding the government, on March 6 to discuss key pending issues such as the formulation of an additional supplementary budget. Floor leaders, policy committee chairs, and chief deputy floor leaders from both parties are expected to participate in the meeting.

Woo Wonsik (right), Speaker of the National Assembly, is greeting Park Chandae, floor leader of the Democratic Party, during a meeting of floor leaders from ruling and opposition parties held at the National Assembly on March 4, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Park Hyungsoo of the People Power Party and Park Sungjoon of the Democratic Party, both chief deputy floor leaders, announced this agreement to the press after a meeting between the floor leaders of the two parties, presided over by National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonsik, at the National Assembly on the afternoon of March 4.

Park Sungjoon, chief deputy floor leader, stated, "The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to swiftly convene a consultative meeting with the Speaker, floor leaders, chief deputy floor leaders, and policy committee chairs from both parties," adding, "It will be held at 4 p.m. on March 6."

Choi Sangmok, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, will not participate in the council. Park explained the reason for the government's exclusion, saying, "Acting President Choi has refused to appoint Ma Eunhyuk as a Constitutional Court justice nominee and has effectively failed to accept the Constitutional Court's decision, so it is not appropriate for him to sit at the negotiation table."

The ruling and opposition parties have also agreed to hold plenary sessions of the provisional National Assembly on March 13, 20, and 27.

Regarding the formation of special committees, a tentative agreement has been reached to compose the National Assembly Pension Reform Special Committee with six members from the People Power Party, six from the Democratic Party, and one from a non-negotiating group. The People Power Party maintains that pension reform discussions should take place in a special committee at the National Assembly level, while the Democratic Party has insisted that the issue be discussed in the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee.

The Special Committee on the Climate Crisis will be composed of seven members from the People Power Party, eleven from the Democratic Party, and two from non-negotiating groups.

The APEC Special Committee will be composed of seven members from the People Power Party, ten from the Democratic Party, and one from a non-negotiating group. If the agreement is finalized, it will be processed on March 13.

Park, chief deputy floor leader, said, "At the ruling and opposition parties' council on March 6, we will focus on further discussions regarding the Special Act on Semiconductors, pension reform, and the supplementary budget. The amendment to the Commercial Act has already been submitted to the plenary session, so it was not discussed today."

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