Seoul Metropolitan Council to Deliberate at Human Rights Special Committee Today
Main Assembly Submission → Possible Majority Party Approval
People Power Party to Propose Government Alternative
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education "Considering Supreme Court Litigation"
The Seoul Metropolitan Council plans to submit and deliberate on the 'Student Human Rights Ordinance Repeal Bill.' Previously, members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council affiliated with the People Power Party attempted several times to submit the repeal bill, but it was thwarted amid opposition from opposition party members. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, which opposes the passage of the bill, is understood to be considering exercising the superintendent's veto power as well as filing a lawsuit with the Supreme Court.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Special Committee on Human Rights and Rights Enhancement on the 26th, a meeting of the Human Rights Special Committee will be held around 11 a.m. that day to submit and deliberate on the repeal bill of the Student Human Rights Ordinance. The Student Human Rights Ordinance is a regulation that prohibits discrimination against students based on gender, religion, and other reasons. Last year, the government pointed to the Student Human Rights Ordinance as a cause of infringement on teachers' rights, prompting education offices across cities and provinces nationwide to push for its repeal. On the 24th, the Chungnam Provincial Council became the first education office to repeal the Student Human Rights Ordinance.
If the repeal bill passes in the special committee that day, it can also be submitted to the plenary session scheduled for the afternoon of the same day. This is because the special committee under the city council has the authority to review and decide on agenda items. Seo Ho-yeon, chairperson of the special committee (People Power Party), said in a phone interview with this paper, "We will submit the repeal bill in the special committee," adding, "If it is submitted, we plan to bring it to the plenary session."
Currently, the People Power Party holds 68% of the total seats in the Seoul Metropolitan Council (76 out of 112 seats), so the agenda can be passed with the agreement of People Power Party members alone.
The special committee also plans to submit a replacement ordinance alongside the current Student Human Rights Ordinance at the upcoming plenary session. Previously, in December last year, Kim Hye-young, a People Power Party member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Education Committee, had introduced the replacement bill titled 'Ordinance on the Rights and Responsibilities of School Members.' It was drafted based on the example amendment to the Student Human Rights Ordinance announced by the Ministry of Education in November last year.
However, some argue that the 'Ordinance on the Rights and Responsibilities of School Members' and the existing 'Student Human Rights Ordinance' differ in nature and cannot replace each other. The replacement bill omits content related to students' universal human rights such as privacy, right to rest, sexual minorities, and religion, which were specified in the existing Student Human Rights Ordinance. Woo Pil-ho, Human Rights Advocate at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, countered, "The replacement bill focuses on conflict resolution among teachers, students, and parents, but does not include content on the human rights of teachers and students." On the other hand, the Ministry of Education holds the position that the current ordinance emphasizes only students' rights and that clarification on responsibilities is necessary.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to oppose the passage of the repeal bill by exercising the 'superintendent's veto power.' The superintendent of education, along with heads of local governments, can request reconsideration of ordinances passed by local councils. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is also considering filing a lawsuit with the Supreme Court if the bill is resubmitted despite the veto. Advocate Woo said, "If the repeal bill is processed in the plenary session, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will proceed with the reconsideration request process," adding, "If the council members resubmit the agenda to the plenary session and pass it again, we will consider filing a lawsuit with the Supreme Court."
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