Han Deok-su Exercises Veto on '6 Key Controversial Bills'

Han Duck-soo, Acting President and Prime Minister, requested the National Assembly to reconsider the contentious bills, including the Grain Management Act, which were passed solely by the opposition party. This is interpreted as a message that the government intends to maintain consistency in its administration, having previously expressed opposition due to concerns over the national fiscal burden.

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is presiding over an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News

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On the morning of the 19th, Acting Prime Minister Han convened an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at the Government Seoul Office and requested reconsideration of six contentious bills. As Prime Minister, he approved the request for reconsideration and then exercised the veto power again in his capacity as Acting President. The bills in question include the Grain Management Act, the Act on Distribution and Price Stabilization of Agricultural and Fishery Products, the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Countermeasures Act, and the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Insurance Act?collectively known as the 'Four Agricultural Acts'?as well as amendments to the National Assembly Act and the National Assembly Witness Examination Act.

Acting Prime Minister Han emphasized, "I feel heavy-hearted to request reconsideration of these six bills at a time when cooperation between the government and the ruling and opposition parties is desperately needed," adding, "I made this decision solely prioritizing the spirit of the Constitution and the future of the nation."

The 'future of the nation,' which Acting Prime Minister Han has repeatedly stressed, refers to fiscal issues. The government has already expressed opposition to the 'Four Agricultural Acts' citing fiscal burdens. If the Grain Management Act, which mandates the government to compulsorily purchase rice, is passed, it will require trillions of won in annual fiscal expenditure. The amendment to the National Assembly Act abolishes the automatic referral of supplementary budget bills to the plenary session, and there were significant concerns from the business community regarding the National Assembly Witness Examination Act, particularly about the risk of 'core technology leakage.'

The Democratic Party has even mentioned the possibility of a 'Prime Minister impeachment' over the veto exercise, but there is also a view that the conclusion on the contentious bills will be accepted. This is because additional impeachment would inevitably cause political turmoil, and these bills are policy bills rather than subjects of political conflict. Instead, the party is expected to apply stronger pressure for acceptance of special investigation laws related to the internal rebellion investigation and the special investigation law concerning Mrs. Kim Geon-hee. In this case, the deadline for the reconsideration request is the 31st of this month.

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