Is the FTA bill a neverending battle between rival parties?

The conference room of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, trade and unification was in chaos on Tuesday, as opposition members occupied the chairman’s seat to stop the ruling party from passing a bill on ratification of the free trade agreement with the U.S.

The ruling Grand National Party initially planned to hold a subcommittee meeting in the morning to deliberate the ratification bill before convening the committee’s plenary meeting in the afternoon. This idea was foiled due to lawmakers from the progressive Democratic Labor Party occupying the venue for the meeting.

Democratic Labor Party leader Lee Jung-hee, who belongs to the parliamentary committee for strategy and finance, and Kang Ki-gap, a lawmaker from the same party who belongs to the parliamentary committee for land, transport and maritime affairs, occupied the committee chairman’s seat.

Democratic Party Rep. Chung Dong-young joined forces with Lee and Kang around 2 p.m. when the plenary meeting was scheduled to be held. Chung had belonged to the parliamentary committee for the environment and labor, but was recently deployed to the foreign affairs committee.

Rep. Nam Kyung-pil, a ruling party member who chairs the foreign affairs committee, started the meeting in front of his seat, saying, “This is not democracy at all.”

Ruling party lawmakers urged Nam to hold the plenary meeting if opposition members ended the protest.

A Democratic Party lawmaker said, “How on earth can you put the ratification bill on the agenda without an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties?”

When ruling party Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun snapped back by saying, “What has the Democratic Labor Party done except occupying (the National Assembly) and causing brawls? What you want is to oppose the U.S., not the free trade agreement, don’t you?” the atmosphere turned ugly.

In response, Rep. Kang said, “We are not a servant of the U.S. Do you mean we should pass the bill because the U.S. Congress approved the agreement?” adding, “Let’s rise up holding candles as we did (to protest U.S. beef imports) in 2008 to prevent mad cow disease.”

When ruling party lawmaker Gu Sang-chan said, “The protest against mad cow disease turned out to be a fraud,” Kang responded, “Why is it a fraud? Mad cow disease is something invisible and hidden.”

Separately, President Lee Myung-bak told a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, “The world envies the free trade agreement with the U.S. and we shouldn`t miss the opportunities (the pact will bring about).”

At a luncheon with the lawmakers related to ratification, he urged them to make efforts to pass the deal in parliament, saying, “If the agreement takes effect amid difficult economic conditions, this will give the agricultural industry and others an opportunity to take a leap forward.”

Five figures from the Democratic Party, including National Assembly Vice Speaker Hong Jae-hyeong and party floor leader Kim Jin-pyo, were invited to the luncheon but none of them attended.

Democratic Party spokeswoman Kim U-jung said, “(Democratic Party) Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu has already explained (to President Lee) why we oppose ratification at a Cheong Wa Dae luncheon Monday.”

Ruling party floor leader Hong Joon-pyo signaled his party’s attempt to pass the ratification bill on Oct. 28 in the plenary session of the Assembly, telling a meeting of party members in Seoul on the same day, “We want to pass the ratification bill within this month after the Oct. 26 Seoul mayoral by-election.”

Democratic Party floor leader Kim told reporters, however, “We need time until mid-November to enact laws necessary to compensate the expected damage stemming from the trade pact.”

zeitung@donga.com srkim@donga.com