The Return of the 'Veto Power Crisis'... Opposition: "No Justification" Ruling Party: "Disastrous Law"

'Yellow Envelope Act and Broadcasting 3 Laws' Passed Solely by the Opposition
Ruling Party Considers Presidential Veto... Filibuster Withdrawn
Presidential Office "No Veto Yet, Negative on Amendment"

Once again, it is a 'veto power political deadlock.' The 'Yellow Envelope Act (Amendment to the Labor Union and Labor Relations Act)' and the 'Broadcasting Three Acts (Amendments to the Broadcasting Act, the Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Agency Act, and the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act),' which the government and ruling party strongly opposed, passed the National Assembly through the push of opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Korea, raising expectations that President Yoon Seok-yeol will exercise his right to request a reconsideration of the bills (veto power).

The Democratic Party, which had lost political leadership one after another due to the mega-city plan centered on incorporating Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province into Seoul and the ban on short selling, is attempting to change the situation by demonstrating strength on the contentious bills while targeting the labor vote, its support base. President Yoon is expected to exercise a series of vetoes on four bills following the Grain Management Act and the Nursing Act, increasing the political burden on the ruling party, which had lowered its profile after losing the Seoul Gangseo District mayoral by-election last month. However, the impact of the 'veto power political deadlock' on public sentiment is still difficult to predict. What is clear is that with the general election five months away, the power struggle between the ruling and opposition parties will intensify, making political deadlock inevitable.

At the plenary session held in the National Assembly main chamber on the 9th, Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, along with the leadership, is holding a meeting. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

◆Behind the scenes of the Yellow Envelope Act passage... High-level political battle between ruling and opposition parties = According to political circles on the 10th, the Yellow Envelope Act and the Broadcasting Three Acts, which passed the plenary session of the National Assembly the day before, were swiftly processed after the Democratic Party submitted impeachment motions against Broadcasting and Communications Commissioner Lee Dong-gwan, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Jeong-seop of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, and Deputy Chief Prosecutor Son Joon-sung of Daegu High Prosecutors' Office as party resolutions and reported them to the plenary session.

Initially, the People Power Party planned to use a filibuster (unlimited debate to legally obstruct parliamentary proceedings) to point out the problems of these bills one by one and inform the public. However, since holding the plenary session for five days due to the filibuster would inevitably lead to the approval of the impeachment motion against Commissioner Lee, they boycotted the plenary session. According to the National Assembly Act, if the impeachment motion is not voted on within 72 hours after 24 hours of being reported to the plenary session, it is automatically discarded. They gave up on informing the public about the unfairness of the Yellow Envelope Act to prevent the plenary session from being held.

This strategy by the ruling party was made with President's veto power in mind. If the president exercises veto power, the National Assembly goes through a re-vote process, and approval requires more than 200 votes. Considering the current 111 seats held by the People Power Party and conservative-leaning independent lawmakers, the actual implementation of the Yellow Envelope Act is unlikely.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is attending the government's policy speech on the next year's budget bill held at the National Assembly on the 31st. On the left is Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

◆President Yoon contemplates veto power = The presidential office stated that it is premature to discuss President Yoon's exercise of veto power but made clear its position on the negative impact of these amendments. A presidential office official said, "It is not a situation to discuss or mention the exercise of veto power," but added, "However, in difficult economic times, the party and ministries will first deliberate on issues that could cause public confusion."

The presidential office holds the position that it cannot accept bills that have not gone through bipartisan agreement in the National Assembly, such as the previously vetoed Grain Management Act amendment and the Nursing Act. In particular, the Yellow Envelope Act is seen as likely to encourage strikes and cause confusion in industrial sites amid economic difficulties.

However, since the Democratic Party's intention to highlight the 'president's continuous exercise of veto power' is clear, the presidential office is cautious about making premature statements. This judgment also reflects the recent rise in President Yoon's approval ratings. After a decline following the Gangseo District mayoral election defeat, his approval ratings have recovered and even risen due to consecutive visits to livelihood sites, so there is no need to reflect an image of unilateral governance through veto power.

Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the floor countermeasure meeting held at the National Assembly on the 10th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

◆"Disastrous evil law" vs. "If vetoed, the people will reject President Yoon" = The Democratic Party also targeted President Yoon's veto power. At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Democratic Party floor leader Hong Ik-pyo said, "President Yoon Seok-yeol has neither justification nor reason to exercise veto power," and added, "The ruling party, which made a fuss as if a disaster would occur if these laws passed, also withdrew the filibuster."

Floor leader Hong continued, "Unless the president wants to make habitual veto power exercises an achievement due to lack of accomplishments so far, he should respect the legislative authority of the National Assembly and promulgate the laws. If he rejects farmers, nurses, and now the majority of working people and democracy, the people will reject President Yoon Seok-yeol," continuing his offensive.

On the other hand, the People Power Party emphasized the economic side effects if the Yellow Envelope Act is implemented and focused on informing the inevitability of the president's veto power. People Power Party floor leader Yoon Jae-ok said, "The amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Relations Act are disastrous evil laws that will lead to the collapse of our economy," and added, "The ruling party's abandonment of the filibuster, the only legal means guaranteed by law for minority parties to oppose the majority, is because the Democratic Party, blinded by political strife, cannot tolerate the abuse of impeachment rights causing confusion and paralyzing state affairs."

He also criticized, "The impeachment attempt against Prosecutor Lee Jeong-seop, who is leading the investigation team for Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, is clearly a shield impeachment, retaliatory pressure, and blatant judicial intimidation."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party resolved at the Supreme Council meeting that day to file a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) against Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Jeong-seop of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee currently leads the special investigation team at Suwon District Prosecutors' Office overseeing investigations related to Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. In August 2019, while working at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, he handled the 'Blue House inspection cover-up case' and indicted former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and others.