Number of Assembly Members Increases to 299

The National Assembly held its plenary session and passed an amendment to its Election Law, which increased its quorum by 26 assembly members (16 in local constituency and 10 in proportional representation) from 273 to 299 on March 2. Therefore, the total number of the 17th assemblymen is finally confirmed as 243 assemblymen of local constituencies and 56 of proportional representation.

The National Assembly also passed the amendment of the Political Party Laws that

called for the abolishment of the constituency chapter, and the amendment of the

Political Funding Law, which contains regulations cutting down the political donation

limit.

As this plenary session is finished, the 16th Assembly is actually closed and each party will convert its party to the election polling committee system and dive into the full-scale election campaign.

However, the bulletin-proof Assembly controversy is showing signs of repeating because the Grand National Party (GNP) is apparently planning to convene a special session of the Assembly if the National Election Commission will not take proper measures, which are expected to operate on March 3, on President Roh Moo-hyun’s suspicion into government authority intervention.

At the Pan-National Committee for Political Reform, which had been held prior to the plenary session, the three Government and Opposition parties agreed to maintain the present Jeju island’s exception that three election districts would fall to two, except for 242 assemblymen in local constituencies that were provided by the Election Districts Demarcation Committee. But they decided on increasing 10 assemblymen in proportional representations.

The National Assembly newly organized the Office for Fire Services and settled the amendment of the Government Organization Law, which raises the Ministry of Government Legislation and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to ministerial-level organizations, and the Cultural Properties Administration to the vice-minister’s level of organization. The Assembly also passed an amendment of the Petroleum Project, which expected to restrict imitation petroleum product’s production, sale, and shipping.

The National Assembly also passed the hot potato, the ‘Special Law for Examination of Pro-Japanese Acts under Japanese Rule.” According to it, a “Committee for Examination of Pro-Japanese Acts” will be organized early this September and it will investigate pro-Japanese groups for three years.

Although the National Assembly had carried an amendment of the amnesty law that stated when the President exercises his right of particular pardon, he gives notice of the criminals’ role, charge, and term to the National Assembly one week prior to the pardon and takes the National Assembly’s advice, it is being watched whether or not the bill will be operate because Chong Wa Dae is under examination itself.

The “Fact-Finding Law for Non-Government Persons’ Death before the Armistice of the Korean War” that was advocated by the Open Uri Party was rejected by a vote of 96 to 72, with seven blank ballots cast among the 175 enrolled assembly members who voted.

In the meantime, Minister of Justice Kang Gum-sil said, “If his remarks are true, President Roh might be in violation of the Political Fundraising Law.” Kang was speaking in reference to President Roh Moo-hyun’s remarks that “I employed several tens of billion won” in the 2002 nomination race.

Young-Chan Yoon yyc11@donga.com