[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] The 20th National Assembly held its final plenary session on the 20th and passed 133 bills. These included the full revision of the Electronic Signature Act abolishing the public certification system, the amendment to the "Basic Act on Past Affairs Settlement for Truth and Reconciliation" (Past Affairs Act), and the amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act and the Information and Communications Network Act (N-bang Prevention Act) imposing obligations on internet service providers such as Naver and Kakao to delete and block access to digital sexual crime materials.
◆Abolition of the Public Certification System after 21 Years=The National Assembly passed the amendment to the Electronic Signature Act, which removes the monopolistic status held by the public certification system. The amendment was approved with 171 votes in favor out of 173 members present. Introduced in 1999, the public certification system contributed to the activation of electronic transactions but was criticized for being inconvenient and not conforming to international standards as it was used only domestically. The amendment abolishes the public electronic signature, public certification, and public certification authority systems, granting equal legal effect to all electronic signature methods. The aim is to promote various electronic signature methods. Accordingly, various private certification services using biometric authentication and blockchain technology are expected to emerge.
◆Passage of the 'N-bang Prevention Act'=The so-called 'N-bang Prevention Act,' amendments to the Telecommunications Business Act and the Information and Communications Network Act, passed the National Assembly. From now on, internet service providers such as Naver and Kakao will have a legal obligation to block illegal obscene materials including sexual exploitation content.
The amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act imposes obligations on internet service providers to take measures such as deleting digital sexual crime materials and preventing their distribution through technical and managerial actions. Internet service providers violating this may face imprisonment of up to three years or fines up to 100 million won. The amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act requires information and communication service providers to appoint persons responsible for preventing the distribution of illegal filming materials. It also added extraterritorial provisions to apply domestic law by requiring overseas internet service providers like Telegram to appoint representatives in Korea.
◆Reinvestigation of Hyeongjebokjiwon Possible=The amendment to the "Basic Act on Past Affairs Settlement for Truth and Reconciliation" (Past Affairs Act) aimed at uncovering human rights violations was passed. Once implemented, reinvestigations into cases such as Hyeongjebokjiwon and the civilian massacres during the Korean War are expected. The National Assembly approved the Past Affairs Act with 162 votes in favor out of 177 members present, with 1 opposing vote and 8 abstentions.
The amendment's core is to reconstitute the "Truth and Reconciliation Commission," which was dissolved after investigations from 2006 to 2010, to clarify the truth about human rights violations from the Japanese colonial period through the authoritarian rule era. The conditions for truth investigation cases are those requiring retrial under the Civil Procedure Act and the Criminal Procedure Act where truth clarification is necessary. The investigation period and extension limit are set at three years and one year, respectively.
◆Compensation Extended to Private Divers=The "Kim Gwan-hong Act" (Special Act on Relief and Support for Sewol Ferry Disaster Victims), which compensates those harmed while recovering bodies during the Sewol ferry disaster, also passed. The amendment expanded the scope of victims from Sewol ferry passengers and their families to include Danwon High School students and contract teachers at the time of the disaster, firefighters, private divers, and volunteers. The Kim Gwan-hong Act was passed in the final plenary session of the 20th National Assembly after more than four years since its proposal. Until now, private divers who died or were injured during the Sewol ferry rescue operations could only receive compensation under the General Water Search and Rescue Act or the Act on the Treatment of Persons of Merit.
◆Artists to Join Employment Insurance=From November, artists will be able to enroll in employment insurance. Additionally, the Act on Job Seekers' Employment Promotion and Livelihood Stabilization Support was enacted to implement the National Employment Support System. This law, which provides up to 500,000 won per month for up to six months to low-income groups, youth, and small business owners, will take effect on January 1 next year. An amendment to the Immigration Control Act requiring short-term foreign residents to report personal information was also passed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting in 2022, consumers will be able to receive a deposit refund when returning disposable cups used at coffee shops, fast-food outlets, and the like. The amendment to the Resource Recycling Act introduces a "disposable cup deposit system" similar to the "empty container deposit system." Under this system, sellers will include a government-set deposit in the product price, and consumers will receive a full refund of the deposit when returning disposable cups. The deposit amount will be determined by the Ministry of Environment considering cup manufacturing costs and policy needs.
Other bills passed include amendments to the Road Traffic Act allowing electric kickboards to ride on bicycle lanes and permitting emergency vehicles such as fire trucks to park on highways when necessary; amendments to the Traffic Safety Act mandating installation of operation recorders on children's school buses; and amendments to the Multi-use Facility Act requiring installation of simple sprinklers in lodging facilities such as goshiwons.
About 15,000 pending bills that were not processed on this day will be automatically discarded on the 29th. The so-called "Koo Ha-ra Act," which prevents parents or children who neglect their support obligations from inheriting property, and amendments to the Tax Accountant Act that lost effect due to constitutional inconsistency rulings also failed to pass.
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