Request for Opposition Party Agreement to the Democratic Party Central Committee
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Yang Hyang-ja, a preliminary candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea for the National Assembly election in Seo-gu (Eul), Gwangju Metropolitan City, requested the Democratic Party central party to include the designation of the May 18 Democratic Movement as a public legal entity within the 20th National Assembly term as a negotiation agenda for the parliamentary negotiation group and to reach an agreement with the opposition party.
According to Yang's preliminary candidate election office on the 23rd, the amendment bill for the May 18 Merit Act was placed on the agenda of the 1st Subcommittee on Bill Examination of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee on the 21st.
However, due to the departure of members of the Future United Party, including Representative Kim Jin-tae, the bill under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs was not even tabled and the meeting was adjourned.
Yang said, "Representative Kim opposed it by delaying the process at the bill subcommittee on November 21 last year," and added, "He claimed there was an issue of fairness with other merit organizations and wanted the examination to continue."
He continued, "However, according to the National Assembly minutes, there was no problem with fairness," emphasizing, "Lee Byung-gu, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, also acknowledged that 'there is no organization among other merit organizations that is not designated as a public legal entity.'"
Yang explained that this is why negotiation within the central party's parliamentary negotiation group is necessary.
He pointed out, "Because members of the Future United Party left during the session, the bill from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs was not even discussed due to lack of quorum," and warned, "If the bill's passage is delayed through negotiations among the Political Affairs Committee's secretaries, it may be automatically discarded upon the expiration of the 20th National Assembly's term."
He further requested, "The central party's floor leadership must negotiate with the opposition party on this agenda," and asked, "Please make efforts to ensure that the amendment to the May 18 Merit Act is passed in the February National Assembly session."
He also urged the Future United Party to actively participate in the bill examination.
Yang said, "If the Future United Party keeps incumbent members who act against public sentiment, they will experience a devastating defeat in the general election," and stressed, "Kim Hyung-oh, the Future United Party's Public Official Recommendation Committee Chair, should exclude members who deny May 18 or oppose the amendment to the May 18 Merit Act from the nomination."
Meanwhile, the "Partial Amendment Act on the Treatment of May 18 Democratic Movement Meritorious Persons" aims to designate organizations related to the May 18 Democratic Movement as public legal entities designated by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, similar to the Veterans Association and the Special Mission Merit Association.
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