Government Organization Act Headed for Forced Passage?... Ruling Party Says "Requested Dialogue with Opposition, No Response"

Democratic Party Plans to Process Bill at Plenary Session on the 25th
People Power Party Considering Filibuster
Political Affairs and Planning and Finance Committees Likely to Fast-Track Related Bills

Tensions are rising in the National Assembly ahead of the handling of the Government Organization Act. The Democratic Party of Korea, which previously declared its intention to dismantle the Prosecutors' Office, has announced plans to convene a plenary session on September 25 to process the Government Organization Act. The People Power Party is reportedly considering countermeasures such as an unlimited debate (filibuster), while no negotiations regarding the Government Organization Act have taken place between the two parties.

On September 22, Kim Hyunjung, the floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, stated in a radio interview regarding the Government Organization Act, "We have been continuously requesting dialogue, but there has been no response." Previously, on September 10, the Democratic Party and the People Power Party had agreed to jointly process the Government Organization Act under the condition that the three major special prosecutors would not be extended. However, since the agreement was broken, the parties have failed to find common ground.

According to the proposals from the Democratic Party and the government, in order for the Government Organization Act to be revised without issue, amendments to not only the Broadcasting and Communications Commission Act and the Financial Services Commission Act, but also the Banking Act, the Financial Consumer Protection Act, and the Statistics Act are necessary. These bills are primarily under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee and the Political Affairs Committee. According to a Democratic Party official, "There are two bills related to the Government Organization Act that must be handled by the Planning and Finance Committee, and nine by the Political Affairs Committee, for a total of 11 bills. The plan is to first submit them for joint processing, and if that fails, to designate them as fast-track items." The Democratic Party leadership has stated that it will make every effort to negotiate with the opposition regarding the Government Organization Act.

However, the People Power Party remains firm. The breakdown of the three major special prosecutor bills has led to a loss of trust, and tensions between the parties have intensified due to incidents such as the search and seizure of the People Power Party's membership list. A People Power Party official explained, "We will listen to the opinions of our lawmakers at the general assembly scheduled for 2 p.m. today and then decide on a course of action." Political observers believe that the People Power Party will likely launch a filibuster or similar measures to clearly express its opposition to the Democratic Party's unilateral push.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Steering Committee will address changes to the names of standing committees and the adjustment of responsible ministries, as necessitated by the revision of the Government Organization Act. The committee plans to submit these items for discussion on September 22, hold a subcommittee meeting to deliberate on September 23, and then attempt to pass them at a plenary session on September 24.

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