Ruling and opposition parties fail to hold joint economic meeting

The first meeting of the ruling and opposition parties’ bipartisan economic committee, originally set for Sept. 19, was abruptly canceled a day earlier. The People Power Party cited the ruling Democratic Party’s forcible passage of the government organization bill, which included provisions to abolish the prosecution, in the National Assembly’s standing committee on Sept. 18 as the reason for the cancellation. The economic committee had been agreed upon during a Sept. 8 meeting between President Lee Jae-myung and party leaders to jointly legislate shared presidential campaign pledges. Amid deep clashes between the two sides, more than 10 days have passed without even taking the first step.

Even when the first meeting was agreed upon on Sept. 17, several bills for joint legislation were already under discussion. These included the so-called “K-Steel Act” to strengthen the competitiveness of the steel industry, as well as support measures for the semiconductor and battery sectors. Bills related to low birth rates, artificial intelligence, and youth employment were also mentioned. The steel industry is facing a crisis due to U.S. tariffs of 50 percent, and the semiconductor and battery sectors are also confronting growing external uncertainties, making timely tax incentives and support measures urgent.

Expanding youth employment had been identified as a priority for joint legislation by both parties from the day of the Sept. 8 committee agreement. With youth employment rates declining for 16 consecutive months, major companies including Samsung have announced plans to significantly increase new hires to create jobs for young people. Creating legal frameworks to provide high-quality employment opportunities as soon as possible is a fundamental responsibility of politicians.

Despite this, the ruling and opposition parties allowed the first meeting to collapse. This was not a contentious issue with major disagreements, but rather an effort to legislate shared campaign promises. From the day after the economic committee agreement, the two sides were preoccupied with clashes, showing no signs of compromise. It raises the question of how long they will continue to use political standoffs as an excuse to neglect discussions on citizens’ livelihoods.

Both parties have publicly pledged to pass common campaign bills in the Sept. 25 plenary session of the National Assembly. The Democratic Party promised the committee would deliver tangible results for citizens, while the People Power Party had suggested last week that the first meeting be held by Sept. 16 and indicated that policy alternatives were ready. On Sept. 8, both sides had framed the economic committee as a win-win: results for the opposition and national policy success for the government and ruling party. If even these slim hopes are dashed, one must ask where the purpose of politics lies.