Democratic Party Temporarily Halts Reform Legislation... "No Plenary Session on the 12th"

Considering the Changed Political Landscape
Decision Deferred to the Next Floor Leadership

The Democratic Party of Korea has decided to temporarily halt its push for reform legislation, including the Public Official Election Act, the Commercial Act, the three broadcasting laws, the Grain Management Act, and the Yellow Envelope Act. The so-called reform bills promoted by the Democratic Party will be handed over to the next floor leadership.

On June 10, Democratic Party floor spokesperson Noh Jongmyeon told reporters after the floor strategy meeting, "The plenary session scheduled for the 12th will not be held," adding, "The new (floor) leadership will make a decision together with the lawmakers."

Regarding the reason for the postponement, it was reported that there was internal debate between those who wanted the current leadership to address the difficult tasks before stepping down and those who preferred the new leadership to conduct a comprehensive review. In addition, the decision was also influenced by the presidential office's judgment. When asked by reporters whether there had been consultations with the presidential office, spokesperson Noh explained, "We consulted widely."

Park Chandae, Acting Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking while presiding over the last floor strategy meeting of the current floor leadership at the National Assembly on June 10, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

It was also reported that there was an awareness of the changed political landscape following the presidential election. Spokesperson Noh explained, "Last week, we mainly handled the special prosecutor bill, and this week, the focus is on livelihood-related bills. There was a judgment that it would send a positive message to the public if these livelihood bills were handled together by both the ruling and opposition parties." While the party maintains that this is a matter for internal deliberation, it appears that concerns about the perception of unilateral action by the majority party in the context of the new administration also played a role.

Regarding the decision to postpone the plenary session and related schedules, Noh explained, "There was a meeting of the floor leadership, coordination with the presidential office, and meetings of each standing committee."

As a result, the new floor leadership will be tasked with handling the reform legislation and other pending issues after the term of Floor Leader Park Chandae ends on June 13. Lawmakers Kim Byungki and Seo Youngkyo are currently running for the new floor leadership position.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik also stated on the same day, "After confirming with both negotiating blocs, there was no request to convene a plenary session," adding, "There will be no plenary session on the 12th."

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