Opposition Holds Solo Standing Committee Meeting... Accelerates Processing of Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act and Broadcasting Four Laws

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과방위, 방송3법·방통위법 안건으로 상정>
Judiciary Committee Forces Subcommittee Formation... All Members of 1st Subcommittee Are from Democratic Party
Science and ICT Committee Lists Broadcasting 3 Laws and Korea Communications Commission Act as Agenda Items

Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, are accelerating the legislation of five bills by holding plenary meetings of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the Science, Technology, Information and Communications Committee independently. While the People Power Party is preparing policies through an internal 'special committee,' the opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, are pushing through party-line bills using standing committees.

On the morning of the 14th, the opposition held a plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Legislation Committee) alone, formed the 1st and 2nd Bill Review Subcommittees, and referred the "Special Prosecutor Appointment Act for the Investigation of Obstruction and Cover-up of the Truth Regarding the Death of a Marine in the Line of Duty" (Special Prosecutor Act for Chae Sang-byeong) to the 1st Subcommittee. Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae of the Legislation Committee formed the subcommittee at his discretion despite the absence of People Power Party members. The Legislation Committee plans to hold a legislative hearing on the Special Prosecutor Act for Chae Sang-byeong on the 21st, summoning 12 witnesses and 3 reference persons for the hearing.

Jeong Cheong-rae, Chairman of the National Assembly 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 14th. At the meeting, the formation of a subcommittee to review the "Special Prosecutor Appointment Act for Investigating Obstruction and Cover-up of the Truth Regarding the Death of a Marine in the Line of Duty (Special Prosecutor Act proposed by Chae Sang-byeong)" and the adoption of 12 witnesses were approved. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The 1st Subcommittee of the Legislation Committee reviews bills related to the committee's core duties, including the Special Prosecutor Act for Chae Sang-byeong, while the 2nd Subcommittee reviews bills referred from other standing committees. Kim Seung-won, the Democratic Party's secretary, was elected as the chairperson of the 1st Subcommittee, and all opposition members of the 1st Subcommittee are Democratic Party lawmakers. Park Eun-jung, a member of the Party for National Innovation, protested her assignment to the 2nd Subcommittee instead of the 1st but was not accepted. Park is the only member from a minor negotiation group.

On the same morning, the Science, Technology, Information and Communications Committee (Science and ICT Committee) also held a plenary meeting attended only by opposition members, where they introduced the three Broadcasting Acts (Broadcasting Act, Korea Broadcasting Culture Promotion Foundation Act, and Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act amendments) and the amendment to the Korea Communications Commission Act. The three Broadcasting Acts focus on changing the governance structure of public broadcasting, and the amendment to the Communications Commission Act stipulates that the quorum for the commission's decisions must be at least four members.

The three Broadcasting Acts were passed under opposition leadership in the 21st National Assembly but were vetoed by President Yoon Seok-yeol. In response, the Democratic Party reintroduced the bills as party-line legislation at a policy caucus held on the 13th. The amendment to the Communications Commission Act was also promoted as a Democratic Party party-line bill. The Democratic Party views the Communications Commission, currently operating under a 'two-person system,' as dysfunctional and has set a standard that at least four members must be present to deliberate and decide on commission agendas. The Communications Commission is a consensus-based body with five standing members.

Choi Min-hee (member of the Democratic Party of Korea), Chairperson of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, is attending the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 14th and conversing with officials. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Although the law amendment bills can be introduced after a 15-day cooling-off period under the National Assembly Act, the opposition decided at the Science and ICT Committee plenary meeting on the same day to skip the cooling-off period and proceed with immediate deliberation.