"Temporary National Assembly in January Is Not Necessary," Position Stated
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] The leadership of the People Power Party announced on the 1st that they will make President Yoon Seok-yeol's three major reforms (labor, education, and pensions) a national agenda and aim to win the general election next year. Cooperation from the opposition party, which holds the majority, is essential to complete the reforms, but regarding the Democratic Party's demand for a 'January extraordinary session of the National Assembly,' they expressed opposition, leaving it uncertain whether the frozen political deadlock between the ruling and opposition parties can be resolved.
Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the New Year's greeting meeting held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, "As President Yoon mentioned in his New Year's address, if the three major reforms succeed, the country can grow sustainably, but if we hesitate, we will inevitably fall behind."
After the New Year's greeting meeting, Joo met with reporters and said, "This year, I hope that at least in the National Assembly, cooperation and coexistence between the ruling and opposition parties will work more actively than ever before, so that we can think together about what the best reforms are for the future of the Republic of Korea and future generations, rather than partisan logic, and reach a consensus." He added, "Within the National Assembly, I think it is most important to have serious and intense discussions with the Democratic Party on this issue and create a consensus."
Regarding the party convention scheduled for March, he said, "I hope that at the convention, we will have a really good leadership team and, centered on that leadership, become a party that properly prepares to win next year's general election." He added, "Let's all unite and devote ourselves to winning the general election next year."
On the morning of the 1st, at the 2023 People Power Party New Year's Meeting held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, floor leader Joo Ho-young and other attendees are listening to President Yoon Seok-yeol's video New Year's greeting. 2023.1.1 [Joint Coverage] [Image Source=Yonhap News]
However, Floor Leader Joo drew a line regarding the holding of the 'January extraordinary session.' He opposes the Democratic Party's claim that an extraordinary session should be held immediately after the December regular session ends. The ruling party argues that holding an extraordinary session at a time when current issues have not been resolved is unnecessary and claims that Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, who has been summoned by the prosecution over the Seongnam FC sponsorship allegations, could use this to maintain immunity from arrest.
Joo emphasized, "According to the National Assembly Act, the National Assembly is not supposed to convene in January and July, and since last September, regular and extraordinary sessions have been held, and before that, there have been continuous extraordinary sessions," stressing that a January extraordinary session is not necessary.
However, he left room for the possibility of holding an extraordinary session later if conclusions are reached after discussing current issues.
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