People Power Party "Strongly Request President Yoon's Veto"
Democratic Party "Alternative Legislation if Veto Exercised"
As the Grain Management Act passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 23rd, a second-round confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties seems inevitable depending on whether President Yoon Seok-yeol exercises his right to request reconsideration (veto). The ruling party immediately requested President Yoon to exercise his right to request reconsideration (veto) after the bill's passage, while the opposition party plans to respond by preparing legislative alternatives instead of engaging in a vote battle over the reconsideration request.
On the 23rd, Kim Mi-ae, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a commentary, "The Grain Management Act is an anti-market socialist populist bill that forces the government to compulsorily purchase rice if the price falls or there is a surplus beyond a certain standard," and argued, "The burden of the forced passage of the Grain Management Act will be borne entirely by agriculture and rural areas." She added, "Our Constitution stipulates the president's right to request reconsideration of bills to prepare against the possibility of radical, hasty, and unconstitutional legislation passing in a unicameral National Assembly dominated by the majority party's parliamentary dictatorship," and insisted, "With the president's exercise of the right to request reconsideration, the Grain Management Act must have the National Assembly's opinion reconfirmed by an enhanced majority vote."
According to the Constitution, the president can request reconsideration of a bill passed by the National Assembly plenary session. If the president requests reconsideration, the National Assembly must pass the same resolution with the attendance of more than half of the total members and the approval of two-thirds or more of the attending members for the bill to be finalized as law. Considering that the People Power Party currently has 115 members and the total number of members is 299, if President Yoon exercises his veto, it will be difficult for the Grain Management Act to pass the National Assembly.
Regarding this, the Democratic Party has internally organized a way to circumvent rather than directly confront the veto. The day before, Democratic Party members of the Agriculture, Forestry, Maritime, and Food Committee, which oversees the Grain Management Act, mentioned "preparing alternatives" during a meeting.
Kim Seung-nam, the Democratic Party secretary of the Agriculture, Forestry, Maritime, and Food Committee, said, "We have to wait and see whether the veto will be exercised," and added, "I think the People Power Party will request it, but if the president exercises the veto, we are preparing alternatives." He also said, "The floor leader, the Agriculture, Forestry, Maritime, and Food Committee, and the Policy Committee are working together, and there are other measures besides this (Grain Management Act) to prevent the collapse of rice prices."
Kim Seong-hwan, chairman of the Democratic Party Policy Committee, also said at the meeting, "This is about fulfilling the government's promise to farmers when converting the rice price fluctuation direct payment system into a direct payment in 2020, but the Ministry of Economy and Finance has not implemented it with a different logic, so this bill includes additional safeguards," and added, "If the veto is exercised, we will challenge legislation to create other safeguards." Democratic Party lawmaker Shin Jeong-hoon also mentioned, "Personally, I will propose comprehensive alternatives again to legislate food self-sufficiency rates and strengthen the mandatory adjustment of rice cultivation areas to uphold the purpose of the Democratic Party's Grain Management Act."
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