'Public Official Election Act' Pending in Legislation Committee... Flood Prevention 'Hacheon Act' Passed in Plenary Session

Passage of River Act Flood Prevention Bill in Plenary Session
Water Management Three Acts Also Clear Plenary Threshold
Public Official Election Act Amendment Stalled in Judiciary Committee Debate

On the 27th, the National Assembly held a plenary session and processed the amendment to the River Act, the first among the 'Flood Prevention Bills' that had gained momentum in discussions between the ruling and opposition parties following recent heavy rains.

The amendment primarily stipulates that the central government shall carry out river construction works on local rivers, which have been pointed out as vulnerable to flooding. For local rivers that are significant for flood control purposes, the state will provide financial support to minimize flood damage to these local rivers.

Specifically, the amendment clarifies the basis for implementing national river construction works on local rivers affected by the drainage of national rivers, and the costs of such works will be borne by the state. The intention is to prioritize national funding for sections affected by rising water levels of national rivers.

The amendment was swiftly processed, passing through the Environment and Labor Committee, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee in the morning, and the plenary session in the afternoon. The amended law will take effect immediately upon promulgation by the government.

Three other bills related to flood prevention for the Geumgang, Nakdonggang, Yeongsangang, and Seomjingang river basins, amending the Water Management and Resident Support Act, were also passed in the plenary session that day. These amendments expand the use of the river basin management fund, which was previously designated for water quality improvement, to cover water-related disaster response projects such as droughts and floods, as well as overall water management.

The People Power Party and the Democratic Party launched a 'Flood Recovery Task Force (TF)' the previous day, involving each party's floor deputy leaders and the floor managers of the four standing committees handling flood-related bills. They agreed to accelerate the processing of flood recovery and damage support bills, aiming for passage during the August extraordinary session of the National Assembly.

The Urban River Basin Flood Damage Prevention Measures Act (Urban Flood Act), which passed the Environment and Labor Committee the previous day, is expected to be processed during the August extraordinary session. Since the Urban Flood Act is a newly enacted law requiring in-depth discussion, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee postponed its resolution and decided to hold additional discussions.

Meanwhile, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, in its plenary meeting that day, reviewed the 'Partial Amendment to the Public Official Election Act' proposed as an alternative by the Special Committee on Political Reform but decided to postpone its resolution.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, the Special Committee on Political Reform had approved an amendment to the Public Official Election Act on the 13th, which allows ordinary voters, not just candidates, to engage in election campaigning using small items such as sashes. The amendment also includes provisions to shorten the prohibition period for political expressions such as printed materials and banners from the current 180 days before election day to 120 days, aiming to expand freedom of political expression. This bill addresses election campaign regulations that the Constitutional Court has ruled unconstitutional or incompatible with the Constitution. If the amendment is not completed by the 31st, a legal vacuum will occur.

During the plenary meeting, alternative debates were held over whether full-time employees of local corporations and local public enterprises should be allowed to participate in intra-party primary campaigns, among other issues. Previously, in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, there had been disputes over regulations that restrict gatherings or meetings during the election period, limiting the holding of events such as hometown associations, clan meetings, alumni meetings, unity rallies, and outings with more than 30 participants.

On this day, Representative Jang Dong-hyeok of the People Power Party criticized the bill, saying, "This bill does not properly reflect the intent of the Constitutional Court's decision" and called it "a bill rushed too quickly." He went through the main points of the amendment and conducted an alternative debate, proposing, "Let's refer it to the Second Subcommittee on Legal Review for in-depth discussion."

On the other hand, Representative Kim Young-bae of the Democratic Party, a member of the Special Committee on Political Reform, said, "Discussing a bill that has already been deliberated and approved by the Special Committee in this manner is not only inappropriate for the role of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee but also politically unethical," adding, "I believe the time for solving problems through further debate has passed." He urged the bill's passage in the plenary session scheduled for 2 p.m., stating, "Repeating discussions on matters already deliberated by the Special Committee is wasteful."

After about an hour-long recess without reaching a conclusion, Kim Do-eup, chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, declared adjournment, citing the plenary session schedule and urging the floor managers of both parties to negotiate.

Following the committee meeting, members of the Special Committee on Political Reform held a press conference, stating, "We once again declare that all responsibility for delaying the passage of the bill, causing a legal vacuum in the election law beyond the deadline set by the Constitutional Court, confusing voters, and causing community division and citizen inconvenience due to election overheating lies with the chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the People Power Party."