“Half-opening” of the Special Session of the National Assembly

The special session of the National Assembly was held unilaterally by the government party in the absence of the Grand National Party on December 13. This was three days after the Uri Party and the Democratic Party called a special session of the National Assembly on December 10.

The Uri Party held an assembly with the Central Standing Committee this morning and decided to operate the National Assembly Standing Committee regularly and to participate in the deliberation process of the 61 reform bills that they had agreed to settle during the special session of the National Assembly.

During the Central Standing Committee session, Floor leader Chun Jung-bae urged the Grand National Party to return to the National Assembly soon, saying, “There should be no condition which prevents an assemblyman from entering the National Assembly, nor is it the time for the National Assembly to be fighting.”

As a result, the special session of the National Assembly was held with six standing committees, including the Index Coordination Subcommittee of Special Committee on Budgets and Accounts, Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee, and the Culture and Tourism Committee, along with the assemblymen of the Uri Party and the Democratic Labor Party attending.

However, due to the absence of the Grand National Party, the standing committee adjourned right after opening the session without any practical deliberation on the bills.

As for the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Finance and Economy Committee, and the Education Committee, Science, Technology, Information and Telecommunication Committee, which the Grand National Party assemblymen are in charge as the chairmen and without their presence, the standing committee was replaced as a bull session.

Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com