The Democratic Party of Korea has adopted a series of bills as party policy, including the Yellow Envelope Act (amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act) and the Special Act on Jeonse Fraud, which failed to pass in the 21st National Assembly. Similar to the Chaesangbyeong Special Prosecutor Act (Special Prosecutor Appointment Act for Investigating Obstruction and Cover-up of the Truth Regarding the Death of a Marine on Duty) and the Three Broadcasting Acts (amendments to the Broadcasting Act, the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Act, and the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act), these bills are expected to be processed rapidly.
Park Chan-dae, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Policy Coordination Meeting held at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
On the 11th, the Democratic Party decided to adopt eight bills, including the Yellow Envelope Act and the Special Act on Jeonse Fraud, as party policy through a party meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Kim Ju-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker and opposition whip on the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee, stated at a policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, "The Democratic Party adopts the Yellow Envelope Act as party policy," adding, "The amendments to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act will be an important turning point to protect workers and lead our society in a better direction."
The Yellow Envelope Act was passed by the plenary session of the 21st National Assembly but was vetoed by President Yoon Suk-yeol in December last year. The Yellow Envelope Act is expected to be submitted from the Environment and Labor Committee to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee as early as next week, led by the opposition. On the 9th, the ruling and opposition parties met at the Environment and Labor Committee subcommittee to coordinate on the Yellow Envelope Act but failed to reach any significant agreement. The People Power Party holds the position that if the Yellow Envelope Act passes, unions cannot be held responsible for illegal strikes, but the Democratic Party and other opposition parties argue that the three labor rights (right to organize, right to collective bargaining, and right to collective action) of subcontracted and platform workers must be urgently protected.
The Special Act on Jeonse Fraud is also one of the bills vetoed by President Yoon in May. This bill stipulates a "rescue first, recover later" approach, where the government first reimburses tenants who are victims of Jeonse fraud and then recovers funds through auctions or housing sales. On the 21st of last month, Democratic Party lawmaker Yeom Tae-young introduced the Special Act on Jeonse Fraud as the main sponsor, explaining, "There have been continuous criticisms that the national response and support for social disasters are insufficient," and "We intend to supplement the current law by expanding the scope of victims eligible for support." However, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport opposes the Special Act on Jeonse Fraud, arguing that it unfairly shifts the debts of malicious landlords onto ordinary citizens.
The so-called Goo Hara Act (Civil Act amendment) will also be adopted as party policy. The Goo Hara Act primarily excludes inheritance rights for parents who neglect their child-rearing duties. Although it passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee subcommittee in the 21st National Assembly, it was not submitted to the plenary session. Since the Goo Hara Act is classified as a livelihood bill, it is expected to pass without the kind of difficulties faced by the Yellow Envelope Act or the Special Act on Jeonse Fraud. However, there are criticisms that the bill only states that inheritance rights are revoked in cases of "serious violation of support obligations," and further specification is needed.
Despite the peak of conflict between the ruling and opposition parties, the Democratic Party is expected to swiftly process the bills adopted as party policy. A Democratic Party lawmaker who requested anonymity said, "The People Power Party is refusing to coordinate on contentious bills such as the Yellow Envelope Act and is opposing them unconditionally, just as in the 21st National Assembly, so we have no choice but to push them through," adding, "The Yellow Envelope Act is expected to be processed in the plenary session as early as the 25th of this month."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
