Yellow Envelope Act Followed by Safety Freight System Proposed Alone, Opposition Urges "People Power Party, Join the Discussion"

Yeo: "Traffic Bill Subcommittee to Meet Tomorrow Morning for Deliberation"
Safety Freight Rate Bill Review Requires Ruling Party Participation

Choi In-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding a press conference regarding the constitutional amendment proposal at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 15th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] As the government has taken a strong stance by proposing the "complete abolition of the Safe Freight Rate System" in relation to the Cargo Solidarity strike, the Democratic Party of Korea announced that it will hold a bill subcommittee meeting tomorrow to review the Safe Freight Rate System bill, which has reached its sunset date.

Following the Yellow Envelope Act (amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act), the opposition party has expressed its intention to unilaterally submit the Safe Freight Rate System bill as well. The Democratic Party indicated that "if even the discussion of the bill is refused, the Democratic Party will have no choice but to take extraordinary measures," effectively suggesting unilateral passage.

At a back briefing held after the Democratic Party's Euljiro Committee's press conference titled "Urging Discussion on the Safe Freight Rate System Bill" on the 1st, Choi In-ho, a Democratic Party lawmaker and chair of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's Transportation Bill Subcommittee, stated, "We will hold a bill subcommittee meeting at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow to review the bill related to the Safe Freight Rate System."

Choi said, "In the morning, I met with the ruling party's floor leader and urged them to at least submit the bill related to the Safe Freight Rate System, but the ruling party floor leader repeated the position that no bill can be discussed until the strike ends and the budget process is completed." He added, "The Democratic Party can no longer delay the review of the bill, so we decided to review it tomorrow."

Choi emphasized, "We urge the People Power Party to participate in the Transportation Bill Subcommittee tomorrow as a ruling party should." Regarding the possibility of unilaterally passing the Safe Freight Rate System bill, he stressed, "Negotiation is the best option if possible, but if the ruling party continues to show the irresponsible attitude it has displayed so far, we will have no choice but to devise extraordinary measures."

Meanwhile, at the press conference, the Democratic Party's Euljiro Committee stated, "The government and ruling party, who should be responsible for national governance, are rejecting all dialogue with the Cargo Solidarity and pushing the national economy into ruin," and emphasized, "The People Power Party must also immediately engage in bill discussions to continue the Safe Freight Rate System and expand the items covered."