Seo Assemblyman and Staff, 3 Nights 4 Days Overnight Standby Reception
"Transportation Disadvantaged Must Enjoy Equal Mobility Rights"
No. 2 is People Power Party's Park Chung-kwon 'Special Act on Science and Engineering Support'
No. 3 is Jo Guk Innovation Party's Top Party Resolution Han Dong-hoon Special Prosecutor Act
"The Act on Transportation Vulnerable Persons is a right that the disability community has been advocating for 23 years. With an urgent desire to resolve this quickly, I have submitted it as the first bill today."
On the opening day of the 22nd National Assembly, the 30th, Representative Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Party of Korea personally visited the National Assembly Legislative Affairs Office in the morning to submit the bill guaranteeing the mobility rights of transportation vulnerable persons (Amendment to the Act on Transportation Vulnerable Persons), the 'No. 1 bill' of the 22nd National Assembly, and made this statement. To file this bill as the first bill of the 22nd National Assembly, Representative Seo and her staff waited overnight for 3 nights and 4 days starting from 9 a.m. on the 26th in front of Room 701, where the Legislative Affairs Office is located. Representative Seo also stayed at the site for about 4 hours the previous afternoon.
The area in front of the National Assembly Legislative Affairs Office was quiet until dawn that day, but as it approached the submission time of 9 a.m., it began to bustle with staff members from lawmakers' offices preparing to submit bills. Due to the controversy over overworking staff in the 21st National Assembly and because Representative Seo Mi-hwa’s office had secured the first bill early, the queue for the less prominent 'No. 2 bill' was formed somewhat later. Around 6:35 a.m., a staff member from Representative Park Chung-kwon of the People Power Party waited with three bills, including the 'Amendment to the Special Act on Support for Science and Engineering Fields.'
The 'No. 3 bill' was claimed by the Party for National Innovation. Staff from Representative Park Eun-jung’s office of the Party for National Innovation lined up around 7:50 a.m., and Representatives Park Eun-jung and Cha Gyu-geun appeared in person when submitting the bill at 9:03 a.m. Afterwards, Representative Kim Seok-ki’s office of the People Power Party submitted the 'High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Act,' and at 9:30 a.m., Representative Jeong Seong-ho of the Democratic Party and Representative Baek Jong-heon of the People Power Party submitted two and one bills respectively.
The No. 1 Bill of the 22nd National Assembly is the Act on Transportation Vulnerable Persons: "Mobility Rights Are Basic Rights That Transportation Vulnerable Persons Should Also Enjoy"
On the 30th, Seo Mi-hwa, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, submitted the "Act on Guaranteeing Mobility for Transportation Vulnerable Persons" as the first bill of the 22nd National Assembly to the National Assembly Legislative Office. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
The amendment to the Act on Transportation Vulnerable Persons, submitted by Representative Seo as the No. 1 bill of the 22nd National Assembly, contains provisions that transportation vulnerable persons should enjoy the same rights as non-vulnerable persons regarding mobility rights related to transportation means, passenger facilities, roads, etc., as stipulated in the Constitution. For this reason, Representative Seo believes that the term 'mobility convenience' used in the current law should be changed to 'mobility rights' to improve awareness of the mobility rights of transportation vulnerable persons as fundamental rights.
Currently, the law defines buses, urban railways, airplanes, and ships as transportation means, but the new law adds taxis and metropolitan railways, which are widely used by the public, to provide equal mobility rights. In particular, the bill mandates wheelchair boarding facilities on all buses and taxis and specifies human support obligations such as assisting transportation vulnerable persons with boarding and alighting and removing cargo.
The bill also includes provisions to streamline the government's support plans for transportation vulnerable persons. Since the national plan to promote mobility convenience for transportation vulnerable persons has been fragmented and shows regional disparities, the bill proposes establishing plans at the national, metropolitan, and local levels and creating agencies responsible for these tasks. Furthermore, it includes provisions to incorporate future transportation means into support plans to ensure timely mobility rights for transportation vulnerable persons. Additionally, the bill mandates that the delivery system consider the purpose and user characteristics of transportation vulnerable persons' support vehicles and provide assistance in emergency medical and urgent situations.
After submitting the bill, Representative Seo told reporters at the National Assembly, "Mobility rights are not rights to be provided restrictively; they are the most basic rights that persons with disabilities should be able to move to desired places at desired times just like non-disabled people." She added, "If mobility rights are guaranteed, they can receive education, attend school, go to work, and go to their workplaces."
Special Act on Support for Science and Engineering Fields Submitted by Ruling Party Lawmaker, a Defector Scientist: "The Leap to a Science and Technology Power Lies in People"
On the first day of the 22nd National Assembly's term, on the 30th, Park Chung-kwon, a member of the People Power Party, is submitting a bill at the National Assembly's Legislative Affairs Office. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
From the People Power Party, Representative Park Chung-kwon, a defector scientist with experience in developing North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), submitted the 'Partial Amendment to the Special Act on Support for Science and Engineering Fields' as the first bill. The Special Act on Support for Science and Engineering Fields was enacted 20 years ago in 2004 and has been criticized for not adequately reflecting changes in the talent development environment and the shortage of science and engineering talents.
The amendment includes provisions to strengthen support for research living stipends to ensure stable academic and research activities for graduate students in science and engineering fields, and requires the Minister of Science and ICT to consult with related agencies such as the Ministry of National Defense to establish a special military service system. It also aims to establish a legal basis for government support for planning, production, startup, and distribution of science and technology content. The bill includes measures to improve the treatment of scientists and engineers, such as allowing reduced working hours for researchers during childcare periods to foster work-life culture, providing immigration conveniences, stipends, residential environment improvements, and employment support to attract outstanding overseas science and engineering talents.
To address the shortage of science and engineering talents, the bill strengthens provisions through law to enhance elementary and secondary mathematics and science education, expand support for training science and engineering researchers and participation in national research and development projects, and increase participation in technical training and re-education for science and engineering personnel. Representative Park stated, "For South Korea to leap forward as a global science and technology power, science and technology talents are the core driving force; ultimately, people are the answer." He explained the legislative intent, saying, "Since urgent support is needed to establish a foundation for nurturing and utilizing science and engineering personnel, I submitted this amendment as the first bill."
Party for National Innovation’s No. 1 Party Resolution: 'Han Dong-hoon Special Prosecutor Act' Submitted by Representative Park Eun-jung
On the first day of the 22nd National Assembly's term, the Innovation Party's Park Eun-jung and Cha Gyu-geun are submitting the special prosecutor bill for Han Dong-hoon at the National Assembly's legislative affairs office on the 30th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
The 'Han Dong-hoon Special Prosecutor Act' submitted by Representative Park Eun-jung of the Party for National Innovation on the same day contains provisions that a special prosecutor should investigate allegations related to the family of former People Power Party emergency committee chairman Han Dong-hoon, as well as allegations and controversies that occurred while Han served as a prosecutor and Minister of Justice. The bill specifies allegations that Han’s family members plagiarized and ghostwrote papers and essays during their high school years.
Regarding Han’s personal allegations and controversies, the bill includes the accusation of instigating complaints against pro-government figures ahead of the 2020 general election. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) indicted Prosecutor Son Jun-sung without detention in May 2022 and cleared President Yoon and Han, but the Party for National Innovation argues that the CIO’s investigation and disposition were inappropriate and that a reinvestigation is necessary. The bill also claims that Han intentionally lost the appeal in the disciplinary cancellation lawsuit against former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, disclosed suspect information and official secrets during the request for arrest consent of Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, and nullified the legislative intent of the National Assembly as Minister of Justice in the Yoon administration by expanding the scope of investigation through enforcement ordinances, thus requiring a special prosecutor investigation.
After submitting the bill to the National Assembly Legislative Affairs Office, Representative Park told reporters, "I will cooperate with the Democratic Party to ensure that the Han Dong-hoon Special Prosecutor Act is definitely passed."
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