Final Sprint of the 21st National Assembly Judiciary Committee... Bipartisan Agreement on the 'Goo Hara Act'

Agreement on Odongwoon Candidate for Public Corruption Investigation Office Chief Hearing Schedule
10 Government-Proposed Bills and 3 Lawmaker-Proposed Bills Submitted Together
'Guhara Law' Revising Inheritance Rights Passed by Bipartisan Agreement

The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee approved the schedule for the confirmation hearing of the candidate for the Chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on the 7th. On this day, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee collectively submitted 13 bills, accelerating the final legislative activities of the 21st National Assembly. The committee serves as the 'final gateway' before bills proceed to the plenary session.

On the same day, the committee held a plenary meeting and passed the 'Adoption of the Plan for Conducting the Confirmation Hearing' and the 'Request for Submission of Materials' regarding the CIO chief candidate. Accordingly, the confirmation hearing for candidate Oh Dong-woon will be held at 10 a.m. on the 17th. Institutions requested to submit related materials must provide them to the committee by 4 p.m. on the 10th. The requests for material submissions received from each lawmaker's office amount to 1,135 items from 72 institutions.

However, the 'Request for Attendance of Witnesses and Reference Persons at the Confirmation Hearing' was not approved due to unresolved consultations between the ruling and opposition party coordinators. Kim Do-eup, chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, stated, "If further consultations are made, a separate meeting will be held to approve it."

Kim Do-eup, Chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, is striking the gavel at the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 7th. The committee resolved agenda items including the adoption of the plan to hold a confirmation hearing for Oh Dong-woon, nominee for the Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

At the plenary meeting, the committee discussed 13 bills, including one that expands the rights of crime victims to access and copy court trial records. The bills discussed will be forwarded to the 1st Subcommittee on Bill Examination. If the bills pass the subcommittee, they will be resubmitted to the plenary meeting to decide whether to refer them to the full National Assembly session.

The Legislation and Judiciary Committee's 1st Subcommittee on Bill Examination convened immediately after the plenary session adjourned to review the agenda. A total of 62 bills, including 13 newly discussed items, were subject to review. About 20 bills passed the subcommittee that day, with a notable bill being the partial amendment to the Civil Act reorganizing inheritance rights. Known as the 'Goo Hara Act,' this bill aims to include 'failure to fulfill child-rearing obligations' as a disqualification for inheritance. The bill was proposed after cases arose where biological parents who failed in their child-rearing duties, such as the late singer Goo Hara's biological mother, claimed inheritance of the child's assets.

Meanwhile, the committee extended the review period for one petition on the same day. If a petition review is not completed within 150 days, the committee may request the Speaker of the National Assembly to extend the review period. The review deadline for the petition signed by 58,340 people, calling for the strict punishment and disclosure of personal information of a man in his 20s who indiscriminately assaulted a female part-time worker at a convenience store in Jinju City, is expected to be extended until the expiration of the 21st National Assembly's term.