The government is reportedly planning to promulgate only the amendment to the 4·16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Victim Relief Support Special Act (Sewol Victim Support Act), which was passed solely by the opposition party in the National Assembly plenary session, while recommending that President Yoon Suk-yeol exercise his right of reconsideration (veto) on the remaining bills, including the Jeonse Fraud Special Act.
On the 29th at 3 p.m., the government is expected to hold an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at the Government Seoul Office, presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, to review and approve the amendment to the Sewol Victim Support Act. The amendment includes extending the medical expense support period for victims of the Sewol Ferry disaster by five years.
The previous day, five bills, including the Jeonse Fraud Special Act, the Democratic Meritorious Persons Act, the Agricultural and Fishery Chamber Act, the Korean Beef Industry Act, and the Sewol Ferry Disaster Victim Support Act, were passed in the plenary session of the National Assembly, led by opposition parties such as the Democratic Party of Korea. Considering that the 21st National Assembly was closing on that day, the National Assembly Secretariat unusually expedited the urgent transfer of these bills to the government.
The government is highly likely to exercise its veto power on the bills other than the Sewol Victim Support Act. In particular, within the Presidential Office, there is a prevailing opinion that vetoing the Jeonse Fraud Special Act, which centers on the principle of "relief first, recovery later" for victims of Jeonse fraud, is necessary. It is pointed out that it is not easy to properly evaluate the value when the government purchases the tenants' deposit refund claims, and it is also inappropriate for ordinary citizens to use the Housing and Urban Fund, which is raised through subscription savings for housing. A Presidential Office official stated, "There is a strong atmosphere that the veto will be exercised on the Jeonse Fraud Special Act and the Democratic Meritorious Persons Act."
If the government recommends exercising the right of reconsideration in the afternoon, President Yoon is expected to immediately exercise his veto. Since the 21st National Assembly is closing on that day, in this case, the bills are expected to be automatically discarded. The National Assembly Secretariat interprets that the reconsideration bills of the 21st National Assembly cannot be approved by the 22nd National Assembly. If President Yoon exercises his veto, it will be the 11th veto since his inauguration.
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