Ruling and Opposition Clash Over Itaewon Special Law... Bereaved Families Stage Hunger Strike

Opposition's Fast-Track Push Sparks Ruling Party Backlash
Bereaved Families "Time Is Tight... Ruling Party Must Reach Agreement"

The ruling and opposition parties are tense over the designation of the special law for the Itaewon disaster investigation as a fast-track bill. The opposition party announced that it would designate the special law as a fast-track bill at the National Assembly plenary session on the 30th, but the ruling party is opposing it, saying it "politicizes the disaster." Bereaved families have begun a hunger strike, urging bipartisan agreement for the enactment of the special law.

The Itaewon special law, jointly proposed by 183 opposition lawmakers last April, was delayed in being submitted due to disagreements between the ruling and opposition parties, and on the 22nd, it was referred to the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee's Second Subcommittee on Bill Review.

The opposition emphasized the necessity of the special law and announced its intention to designate it as a fast-track bill. Kang Byung-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "(The ruling party) should participate in legislation that wipes away the tears of the victims and bereaved families, and if there are any opinions, we can find reasonable alternatives through sufficient discussion," adding, "The bereaved families are fasting in grief; shouldn't we resolve their resentment?"

On the other hand, the ruling party demanded the withdrawal of the party resolution to designate the special law as a fast-track bill. Lee Man-hee, a member of the People Power Party, said, "I seriously doubt whether the special law promoted by the opposition truly comforts the bereaved families and prevents recurrence," and pointed out, "Regardless of the problems with the bill's content, the Democratic Party's attitude to push it as a party resolution without proper consultation with the ruling party has an ulterior motive."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Even if the special law is put on the fast track, without the ruling party's cooperation, passing the bill is far off. If designated as a fast-track agenda, it will take up to 330 days, going through the National Assembly's relevant standing committee (up to 180 days), the Legislation and Judiciary Committee (up to 90 days), and the plenary session's deliberation period (up to 60 days). This makes it difficult to realize the enactment of the special law within the first anniversary of the disaster (October 29). The Democratic Party believes that only if it is designated as a fast-track bill at the plenary session on the 30th can it be processed by May next year, before the end of the 21st National Assembly's term.

The 'Social Disaster Special Act' for investigating the Sewol ferry disaster was also designated as a fast-track bill in December 2016 but only passed the plenary session about 11 months later, in November 2017. This is why bereaved families agree to the fast-track designation but insist that bipartisan agreement comes first.

Lee Jeong-min, acting representative of the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association, who began a hunger strike on the 20th urging the enactment of the special law, said in an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 23rd, "Since bipartisan agreement is the smoothest way to process the bill, we wanted bipartisan agreement, but time is too tight and much time has been delayed," adding, "We want to designate it as a fast-track first and then draw out the ruling party's agreement."

On the morning of the 22nd, at the plenary meeting of the Administrative Safety Committee held at the National Assembly, Chairman Kim Gyo-heung and Lee Man-hee, the ruling party's secretary, are engaged in a heated argument over the passage of the special law related to the Itaewon disaster.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some express concerns that the worst-case scenario of the president exercising the veto power might be repeated. Previously, the Grain Management Act and the Nursing Act, which the government and ruling party opposed, were vetoed by the president, sent back to the National Assembly for re-vote, and eventually discarded.

However, the Democratic Party believes it will not reach the point of veto exercise. Park Ju-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker in charge of the Itaewon disaster response headquarters, said, "Not all, but some People Power Party lawmakers say that since 159 people died, they cannot just let this pass," adding, "Designating it as a fast-track bill can activate discussions, and through these active discussions, the content will be reasonably adjusted and passed, and the president will not veto it."

Park emphasized, "Even though the government strongly opposes it, if the government is absolutely opposed and the president decides to exercise the veto and refuses to engage in dialogue, what about the compassionate image President Yoon Seok-youl has shown so far?" adding, "We expect at least a minimum proactive attitude. It must be so."

Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party who participated in proposing the special law, also said that the fast-track is merely a safety measure to hold a vote after at least 330 days and suggested that the ruling and opposition parties discuss the bill's content. She proposed coordinating issues such as the 'composition of the recommendation committee,' which the ruling party cited as a reason for opposing the special law's enactment.

In an interview with YTN Radio's 'News King with Park Ji-hoon,' Yong said, "It has been just over 230 days since they lost their children, and when bereaved families are fasting to speak, even if there are differences, shouldn't we at least listen to what they are claiming?" adding, "I hope People Power Party lawmakers and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety visit the bereaved families directly and have time to talk."

Yong said, "Yesterday, I asked the Minister of the Interior and Safety at the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee whether the 'last moments of the 159 victims,' 'what emergency relief measures each victim received and how they were transported,' and 'if there had been better measures, how many could have been saved' had been confirmed, and he said none of these three had been confirmed," adding, "These are not subjects for political strife that the Itaewon disaster bereaved families want to know about."