Democratic Party Unilaterally Passes 'Democratic Meritorious Persons Act' in Political Affairs Committee... People Power Party Absent

On the afternoon of the 14th, the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee held a plenary session and passed the bill on the treatment of democratic merit recipients (Democratic Merit Recipients Act) solely by the opposition party.

On July 4th this year, at the Legislation Review Subcommittee 1 of the Political Affairs Committee held at the National Assembly, Chairman Kim Jong-min is striking the gavel. During the meeting, discussions were held regarding the Act on the Honoring of Democratic Meritorious Persons (Democratic Meritorious Persons Act) and other related matters. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Earlier that morning, the Political Affairs Committee attempted to process the bill during a plenary session, but the ruling party, the People Power Party, requested to refer the bill to the Agenda Adjustment Committee. The Agenda Adjustment Committee is a standing committee body that deliberates on contentious bills between the ruling and opposition parties for up to 90 days and passes the bill if four out of six members approve.

Accordingly, the Political Affairs Committee held the Agenda Adjustment Committee in the afternoon at the ruling party's request, but with the ruling party members absent, the opposition party passed the bill alone and forwarded it to the plenary session.

The Democratic Merit Recipients Act includes provisions that recognize individuals who have clearly contributed or sacrificed in resisting anti-democratic authoritarian rule and establishing the free democratic basic order as aimed by the Constitution, and who have gained social consensus, to receive merit treatment after review by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

The Democratic Party has been pushing for the bill, arguing that victims of the democratization movement who have been neglected in the veterans' welfare blind spots should be properly honored, but the People Power Party has opposed it, calling it a "bill that produces fake merit recipients."