Kim Jin-pyo Holding the 'Arbitration Key', Frustrated Democratic Party... "Short-sighted Politics Fuels Political Distrust"

Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo refused to put the Nursing Act directly to a vote, setting himself against his former party, the Democratic Party of Korea. The decision aims to prevent a vicious cycle of the majority party's unilateral enforcement and the president's request for reconsideration (veto exercise) in the current minority government situation. With the general election just a year away and Democratic Party floor leader Park Hong-geun's term nearing its end, a final legislative push is expected, likely leading to continued clashes.

On the morning of the 14th, Kim explained on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show" why he did not put the Nursing Act on the agenda, saying, "I am worried because the number of bills being directly submitted is increasing," and added, "If we follow procedures like those for the Grain Management Act, wouldn't the authority of the National Assembly's legislative power be further diminished?" He emphasized the need for agreement between the government and the ruling and opposition parties, explaining, "There is an opinion from the government side that some level of agreement is possible, so let's wait until then."

The National Assembly, in a plenary session the previous afternoon, re-voted on the Grain Management Act amendment, which President Yoon Seok-youl had exercised his first request for reconsideration on, and rejected it. However, the Nursing Act bill, which the Democratic Party had directly referred back, was not put on the agenda due to reasons such as further discussion.

Recently, the role of the Speaker of the National Assembly has grown in the minority government situation. This is because the majority opposition party repeatedly forces the passage of bills by seat count while the government and ruling party are at odds. The Speaker is in a difficult position, unable to unconditionally accept the Democratic Party's demand for putting bills on the agenda, nor easily oppose the party's decisions. In the plenary session the day before, Kim and floor leader Park Hong-geun had a heated exchange, with Kim visibly upset while trying to dissuade Park from demanding the bill's agenda inclusion.

Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo is striking the gavel at the 4th plenary session of the 405th National Assembly (extraordinary session) held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 13th. The amendment to the Grain Management Act, which was returned to the National Assembly after President Yoon Seok-yeol exercised his veto power, was ultimately rejected with 290 members present, 177 in favor, 112 against, and 1 abstention. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

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In February, during the process of handling the Grain Management Act amendment, Speaker Kim proposed a mediation plan to both ruling and opposition parties to put a brake on the process. However, the bill ultimately passed the plenary session under the Democratic Party's leadership without narrowing differences. He also delayed the budget bill deadline four times last December to induce agreement between the parties.

Regarding this, Kim explained, "Political parties tend to engage in short-sighted politics, thinking that as long as they rally their own camp and win even one vote, it's enough, but this greatly fuels public distrust in politics," adding, "It is my duty as Speaker of the National Assembly to ensure more thorough dialogue and compromise so that the government and politics operate without causing public anxiety."

Floor leader Park Hong-geun voiced strong protest at the Supreme Council meeting that morning, expressing "deep regret" toward the Speaker. He said, "Although the bill should have been handled on the 30th of last month, the Democratic Party willingly accepted the Speaker's proposal to give more time to the government and ruling party and waited," and added, "Is the Speaker saying we should just stand by while the government and ruling party engage in 'conflict provocation' instead of 'conflict adjustment' again?"

He continued, "At the plenary session on the 27th, we will definitely handle the Nursing Act and Medical Service Act, including other livelihood bills, according to principles," and pressured, "As the head of the National Assembly, the people's hall of opinion, I hope the Speaker prioritizes the public's desire for the prompt handling of livelihood bills."

The People Power Party highly evaluates Speaker Kim's mediation efforts. After the plenary session the previous day, People Power Party floor leader Yoon Jae-ok said, "There were discussions between the ruling and opposition parties on the Nursing Act, and the government also seemed to think there were points that made it regrettable to handle it now," adding, "Speaker Kim personally requested the government side to resolve the issue, and considering that handling the bill without discussion would be problematic, I understand the decision was made after careful consideration."

Regarding the Speaker's recent actions, Park Sang-byeong, a professor at Inha University's Graduate School of Policy, said, "He is one of the most hardworking Speakers in history to achieve results," adding, "Although he was a member of the Democratic Party, he has said no when something was wrong despite demands from party members and has persistently urged agreement between the ruling and opposition parties." Professor Park predicted that the Democratic Party, which continues to push for legislative enforcement, "shares the supporters' view of showing strength as the party holding the majority in the National Assembly," and "(Ultimately) the Nursing Act will probably be put on the plenary agenda and passed, and the Democratic Party will have done its part." He also added, "If such legislative clashes continue, President Yoon's political burden is likely to increase."

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