April's Final National Assembly: Dual Special Probes on the Political Maneuver and Nursing Act... Intense Confrontation Between Ruling and Opposition Parties

The final plenary session of the National Assembly in April is expected to witness intense confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties over the designation of the "Double Special Prosecutor Bills (Daejang-dong 5 Billion Club Special Prosecutor Bill and Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Bill)" as fast-track agenda items, the enactment of the Nursing Act, and amendments to the Broadcasting Act. Legislative measures to support victims of jeonse fraud, along with bills that passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee the previous day, are expected to be smoothly processed as both parties have reached an agreement.

At the plenary session scheduled for the afternoon of the 27th, the Democratic Party will attempt to designate the double special prosecutor bills as fast-track agenda items. The day before, the Democratic Party submitted a request for fast-track designation of the double special prosecutor bills to the National Assembly under the names of 182 lawmakers, including those from the Justice Party and the Basic Income Party. The "5 Billion Club Special Prosecutor Bill" centers on investigating allegations that political and legal figures received 5 billion won in connection with the Daejang-dong development project. The "Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Bill" aims to have a special prosecutor examine whether Kim Geon-hee was involved in the stock price manipulation of Deutsche Motors.

Bills designated as fast-track must be reviewed by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee within 180 days. If no agreement is reached between the ruling and opposition parties, the bill is automatically submitted to the plenary session and put to a vote within 60 days. If designated as a fast-track agenda item on this day, the special prosecutor bills are expected to pass the National Assembly by the end of this year, four months before the general election. To be designated as fast-track, at least three-fifths (180 seats) of the total members must approve.

Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, are shaking hands on the 26th at the Speaker's office in the National Assembly. In the center is Kim Jin-pyo, Speaker of the National Assembly. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

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Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, stated at the party's floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the same day, "The unfairness of the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Bill is no less than that of the 5 Billion Club Special Prosecutor Bill, if anything, it is greater," adding, "Most of the account usage periods are beyond the statute of limitations, so they cannot be subject to investigation, and the opposition party also recommends the special prosecutor, so it is not neutral." He continued, "The Democratic Party's insistence on the special prosecutor seems to have no purpose other than to harass Kim Geon-hee," and criticized, "This is the Kim Geon-hee stalking law. Is the Democratic Party trying to become Yeonjin?" Regarding the Justice Party's joining of the double special prosecutor fast-track, he said, "The alliance between the double special prosecutor and the Yellow Envelope Act is a decalcomania of the alliance between the Corruption Investigation Office Act and the mixed-member proportional representation system in the last National Assembly," and added, "I hope the opposition party cancels the plan to put the double special prosecutor bill on the fast-track in today's plenary session."

On the other hand, Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said, "The overwhelming public has ordered the introduction of a special prosecutor to uncover the truth and properly punish," and criticized, "The Yoon Seok-yeol government’s prosecution conducted a sloppy investigation to protect their own regarding the 5 Billion Club, where the evidence is clear, and only issued exonerations for all the suspicions involving Kim Geon-hee." Floor leader Park added, "We must pass the motion to designate the special prosecutor bill as a fast-track agenda item at today's plenary session to sound the alarm against the arbitrary and selective investigations by Yoon Seok-yeol’s political prosecution," and "We cannot stop laws directly related to people's lives, such as the Nursing Act, Medical Service Act, and Broadcasting Act, which the government and ruling party irresponsibly changed their stance on and failed to mediate."

Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo is taking a commemorative photo with the floor leaders of the negotiating groups in the Speaker's office on the 26th. From the left, Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Speaker Kim, and Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

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At the plenary session on the same day, the Nursing Act is likely to be directly referred. The core of the bill is to separate the legal status of nurses from the Medical Service Act and improve their treatment. The Democratic Party attempted to pass the Nursing Act at the plenary session on the 13th but postponed the vote as Speaker Kim Jin-pyo did not bring the bill to the floor. However, despite several negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties afterward, no alternative was reached. Therefore, many expect the bill to be processed under the leadership of the Democratic Party at this plenary session.

The amendment to the Broadcasting Act, which grants the right to recommend directors to labor unions and press organizations to change the governance structure of public broadcasting, is also a flashpoint. A vote is expected on whether to directly refer the Broadcasting Act amendment at the plenary session. If a majority of lawmakers approve, it is expected to be introduced and processed at the May extraordinary session plenary. The ruling party has strongly opposed this bill, arguing that it would allow pro-Democratic Party management to lead broadcasting companies. Because of this, the ruling party may request the president's veto power on the Nursing Act and Broadcasting Act.

Floor leader Yoon said, "The Nursing Act currently shows fundamental conflicts between occupational groups," and "Our party has been working to prevent a medical crisis by proposing mediation plans." He added, "The Democratic Party, which should be in a position to mediate conflicts with our party, is instead fueling the conflict," and emphasized, "Although their intention is to divide the people and politically burden the government, if they forcibly pass the bill, we will have no choice but to recommend the president exercise the veto power."

Meanwhile, at the plenary session on the same day, amendments to the Local Tax Basic Act to support victims of jeonse fraud and amendments to the Real Estate Appraiser Act to strengthen sanctions against appraisers involved in jeonse fraud are expected to be processed. In addition, partial amendments to the Special Act for the Construction of Gadeokdo New Airport, amendments to the Act on the Development and Promotion of Intelligent Robots, and amendments to the Special Measures for the Promotion of Venture Businesses, which grant multiple voting rights to unlisted venture companies and startups, will also be submitted to the plenary session.

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