Agreed to Deal with Extension of Teachers` Retirement Age and Appearance tf Prosecutor General through Discussion

In a floor leaders` meeting yesterday, the ruling and opposition parties decided to leave the resolution of the prosecutor-general Shin Seong-Nam`s appearance in the National Assembly and the issue of the extension of teachers` retirement age up to the executive generals of the Legislation-Judiciary Committee in the National Assembly.

Following this decision, the ruling and opposition parties avoided feud in the Nation Assembly. However, disputes over these issues seem to continue due to the different opinions between the ruling and opposition parties.

The Millennium Democratic Party`s (MDP) floor leader Lee Sang-Soo and the Grand National Party`s (GNP) floor leader Lee Jae-Oh agreed in a floor leaders` meeting that the ruling and opposition parties` executive generals of the Legislation-Judiciary Committee will deal with the two issues through discussion.

While Lee Sang-Soo interpreted the `dealing with the issues through discussion` as a way in which "vote will not be enforced in a situation where the agreement between the ruling and opposition parties is not made yet," Lee Jae-Oh interpreted it as a way in which "the issues will be dealt by the National Assembly`s law if agreement is not made through discussion."

In a Legislation-Judiciary Committee meeting prior to the floor leaders` meeting, the GNP`s Lee Joo-Young said, "To call in prosecutor-general is not to make an influence on the concrete case investigation, but to find out why the prosecution concealed the suspicious cases such as `3 Gates` and who is responsible for that."

Meanwhile, the MDP`s Chun Jeong-Bae said, "No prosecutor-general has appeared in the National Assembly for the recent 30 years. If there are questions to ask to the prosecution, Minister of Justice, the highest supervisor, needs to be called in."

The prosecutor-general Shin Seong-Nam said in a written statement, which explained the reason not to appear, submitted to the National Assembly, "The prosecution`s investigation and right to prosecute could be influenced by politics. Thus, the appearance of the prosecutor-general in the National Assembly is not desirable."

Meanwhile, the GNP hold an emergent presidential meeting and agreed to target the passing of the legislation draft on the extension of teachers` retirement age in the plenary session on 29th, and to manage it within the regular National Assembly sessions regardless.

However, the GNP`s vice president Lee Boo-Young and Kim Won-Woong reaffirmed to take the course of free vote regarding the legislative draft on the extension of teachers` retirement age.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com