Assemblyman Lee Byung-hoon's 'Ateukbeop Amendment' Dramatically Passed in the National Assembly After Many Twists and Turns

Three Meetings Over a Single Bill: A Record-Breaking Case

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The "Special Act on the Creation of an Asia Culture-Centered City Amendment" (Asia Special Act Amendment) proposed by National Assembly member Lee Byung-hoon passed the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 26th after many twists and turns.

Lee stated that although the Asia Special Act Amendment faced opposition from opposition party members in the relevant standing committees, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, it was finally approved after heated debate in the plenary session of the National Assembly.

As a result, the Asia Culture Center has been confirmed as a national government agency, marking a new turning point.

The Asia Special Act Amendment sparked intense debate between the ruling and opposition parties after being submitted to the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on August 13.

During the National Assembly audit period, on-site investigations were conducted, and the bill went through the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee’s subcommittee twice, with three meetings held over a single bill, setting a rare record. Eventually, it was referred to the agenda adjustment committee and was voted on in the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on December 23 of last year.

The amendment mainly stipulates that the Asia Culture Center will carry out its public functions as a national government agency as originally planned, while only some profit-making business functions such as content distribution will be performed by the Asia Culture Center Foundation. It also includes key points such as the succession of employment for existing staff during organizational restructuring and a five-year extension of the Asia Special Act’s effective period.

During the discussion of the Asia Special Act, the opposition consistently opposed the amendment, even refusing to submit it to the bill subcommittee. Eight National Assembly members from the Gwangju region issued a condemnation statement in the National Assembly, demanding the bill be discussed and promptly passed. In addition, the city council and civic groups also urged the passage of the Asia Special Act, showing a unified voice from the Gwangju community.

The process after referral to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee was also not smooth. Although the Democratic Party of Korea actively promoted the Asia Special Act Amendment as a "priority bill," and it was expected to pass smoothly by the end of December, it was not even submitted to the agenda of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee due to many contentious bills and had to be carried over to the next session.

This led to a bleak outlook that the Asia Special Act amendment might not pass the National Assembly, as it failed to do so during the 20th National Assembly.

However, with the start of the February extraordinary session, Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon announced at a party meeting the intention to pass the bill during this session, and the amendment was submitted as an agenda item to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee near the end of the session. It set a record for the longest discussion time for a single bill in the committee and passed through it.

With five minutes remaining before the plenary session of the National Assembly, the amendment passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee through agreement between the ruling and opposition parties, was immediately submitted to the plenary session, and passed with 168 votes in favor out of 240 attending members.

The Special Act on the Creation of an Asia Culture-Centered City was amended in 2015 under the Park Geun-hye administration aiming for incorporation, but faced many difficulties in operation due to organizational bifurcation conflicts and poor content quality.

In particular, the amended law at that time stipulated that the Asia Culture Center would be "partially entrusted" to a corporation for five years, followed by a performance evaluation and then "fully entrusted," which meant that the newly established institution, only five years after opening, had to be handed over to a corporation, resulting in the loss of its status as a national agency and serious difficulties in securing finances.

The deadline was set for the end of 2020, forcing the related ministries to proceed with the incorporation process, an unprecedented situation.

Lee Byung-hoon said, "I thank the citizens who were deeply concerned and supported the passage of the Asia Special Act Amendment in the National Assembly. It was possible because of the support and passion of the citizens." He added, "I deeply appreciate Leader Lee Nak-yeon, Floor Leader Kim Tae-nyeon, and the members of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee who showed strong determination to pass the amendment."

He continued, "The remaining tasks are securing necessary personnel, building the organization, and producing high-quality content for the normalization of the Center’s operation," and said, "We will strive to make the Center an institution loved by the public and internationally recognized."

Meanwhile, the clause in the supplementary provisions of the bill regarding the "special hiring of Asia Culture Institute employees" was deleted following the Legislation and Judiciary Committee members’ concerns that it might conflict with the National Public Service Act, which governs civil servant recruitment, and could be misunderstood as preferential treatment.

However, the provision for the succession of existing Asia Culture Institute employees to the newly established "Asia Culture Center Foundation" was retained as a "transitional measure concerning the hiring of Asia Culture Institute employees" at Lee’s strong request and was able to pass.