[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] Park Kwang-on, a three-term member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Suwon Jung, Gyeonggi Province, who submitted the first bill of the 21st National Assembly to the National Assembly Secretariat, said regarding former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon's criticism, "I did not know it would proceed in this way," and added, "I will accept former Professor Jin's criticism."
On the morning of the 2nd, Park appeared on YTN Radio and responded to the question, "Former Professor Jin criticized that the aides' hard work was not considered and that you only focused on submitting the first bill," by saying this.
On the 1st, Park submitted the "Basic Act on the Realization of Social Value by Public Institutions (Social Value Act)" as the first bill of the 21st National Assembly, and for this, six aides had to take turns guarding in front of the Secretariat office for 4 nights and 5 days.
In response, former Professor Jin pointed out, "This is Korea's labor reality, where aides are forced to stay up all night in shifts for 4 nights and 5 days just to take that one photo for a one-time, rehashed, or third-time bill," and added, "Making them work overtime for something utterly useless inevitably leads to industrial accidents and safety incidents."
On the 29th, ahead of the opening of the 21st National Assembly, a staff member from Representative Park Kwang-on's office is waiting in the hallway in front of the National Assembly's Legislative Affairs Department to submit the first bill of the 21st National Assembly. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
Park said, "I will accept the parts of that criticism that should be accepted," and added, "I am grateful and sorry to the aides because, honestly, I did not know it would proceed in this way. I thought internet submission was also possible." He further said, "Our aides also thought it was good when I said I would push it as the first bill."
He said, "The reason for presenting this as the first bill was to spread consensus and raise awareness," and added, "By becoming the first bill, this bill attracted much more media attention. I am very grateful that the aides calculated this."
Regarding the reason for making them line up in front of the Secretariat office instead of submitting online, he explained, "When I tried to submit online, it required the consent of at least 10 members of the National Assembly, and 10 people had to simultaneously submit online and sign their consent to the National Assembly Secretariat, which is practically impossible. So we secured the location first."
Meanwhile, this bill contains provisions that public institutions should prioritize 'social value' such as human rights protection and safe labor over cost reduction or efficiency. Sixteen Democratic Party members, including Lee Nak-yeon and Kim Jin-pyo, participated in the proposal. Park said, "President Moon Jae-in proposed this law after the Sewol ferry disaster. Now we are experiencing the COVID-19 crisis," and added, "It is a law intended to newly establish the operating principles of public institutions in line with the direction our society should take."
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