National Assembly opened with a slew of bills from opposition parties

On the first day of the 22nd National Assembly, the Democratic Party of Korea proposed the “Special Prosecutor Act on Corporal Chae” and the “Special Act on the Payment of Livelihood Recovery Support Fund” as its first party policy bills on Thursday. The Rebuilding Korea Party submitted the "Han Dong-hoon Special Prosecutor Act," targeting former People Power Party emergency committee chairman Han Dong-hoon, as its first party policy bill. With 192 seats, the opposition parties launched an all-out offensive against the government and the ruling party on the opening day of the new parliament.

In a general assembly meeting, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said, “We will swiftly process the bills that failed to pass or were rejected by the government and the ruling party in the last assembly despite significant public support.” He vowed to “immediately push for livelihood and reform legislation with the determination of Mongolian cavalry.” Lee emphasized that the 22nd National Assembly would be completely different from previous ones, declaring, “We will not shy away from any battle to protect the people's livelihood,” signaling a strong stance for vigorous legislative action.

In contrast, the People Power Party did not propose any party policy bills on the first day. The ruling party plans to announce its first policy bill after a two-day workshop starting on Thursday. The People Power Party is considering legislative measures to address low birth rates, including expanding parental leave and increasing tax credits for children, which were among the pledges made during the April 10 general elections campaign.


Sung-Hwi Kang yolo@donga.com