Government Organization Act to Be Processed This Evening... Ruling and Opposition Parties Face Off in Four-Night, Five-Day Filibuster

Key Bills Expected to Be Processed by the 29th
Standoff Could Prolong If Filibuster Extends to Non-Contentious Bills

The amendment to the Government Organization Act, which centers on the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office, will be processed at the National Assembly plenary session on the afternoon of September 26. The People Power Party plans to counter subsequent contentious bills with a filibuster (unlimited debate), so the current standoff is expected to continue until the 29th.

The National Assembly will hold a vote to end the filibuster on the amendment to the Government Organization Act at around 6:30 p.m. on this day, followed by a vote to pass the bill. According to the National Assembly Act, after 24 hours from the start of a filibuster, the debate can be forcibly ended with the consent of at least three-fifths (180 seats) of the total members.

Given the favorable seats held by the broader ruling bloc, it is expected that after completing the procedure to forcibly end the filibuster, the Government Organization Act will pass at the plenary session. The People Power Party has decided not to participate in the vote.

Park Sumin, a member of the People Power Party, is conducting an unlimited debate (filibuster) on the partial amendment bill of the Government Organization Act at the National Assembly plenary session on the 26th. Park has been continuing the debate for over 13 hours. September 26, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Previously, at around 6:30 p.m. the previous day, the National Assembly introduced a revised version of the Government Organization Act. The People Power Party began the filibuster with Assemblywoman Park Sumin, and the Democratic Party of Korea immediately submitted a motion to end the filibuster.

The revised bill includes the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office, the establishment of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Agency, and the separation of the prosecution’s investigative and indictment functions. It also includes a plan to split the Ministry of Economy and Finance into the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Planning and Budget. However, just before the plenary session, the revised bill prepared by the government and the ruling party excluded the financial supervisory reform plan, such as the separation of the Financial Services Commission's functions.

After the passage of the Government Organization Act, the Democratic Party of Korea plans to sequentially process the following: the Act on the Establishment of the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee, the amendment to the National Assembly Act, and the National Assembly Testimony and Appraisal Act. As with the Government Organization Act, the party is expected to repeat the process of a 24-hour filibuster, forced termination of the filibuster, and a vote on the bill in an attempt to pass these bills. After maintaining a filibuster standoff for five days and four nights since the previous day, the handling of key bills is expected to be completed around the 29th, right before the Chuseok holiday and the Cabinet meeting.

Although Democratic Party leader Jung Chungrae has put into action his pledge to process the Government Organization Act at the plenary session before Chuseok, the subsequent procedures are expected to take considerable time. In particular, since the People Power Party is strongly considering launching filibusters even on non-contentious bills, there are predictions that the filibuster phase could last up to 70 days if the Democratic Party seeks to process all 69 bills originally scheduled for the plenary session. As the People Power Party also plans to hold rallies outside the National Assembly, the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties is expected to continue.

At the Democratic Party’s expanded executive meeting on this day, leader Jung Chungrae said, "I am pleased that we can keep our promise to deliver the news of the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office during the Chuseok news," adding, "We will continue to push forward with reforms in the judiciary and the media." On the other hand, Song Eonseok, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting, "The Democratic Party is pushing through a destructive bill that undermines the nation's future and people's livelihoods," and added, "Although we have blocked the hasty attempt to overhaul the financial supervisory system, demanding an end to the filibuster using this as an excuse is nothing but selfishness."

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