Opposition Forces Rush Afternoon Vote on Yellow Envelope Act... Yoon Faces 6 Expected Vetoes

Ruling Party Requests Veto If Opposition Passes Bills Alone
Yoon Exercises Veto 21 Times in Term If 6 Cases Vetoed

Opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Korea plan to pass the 'Yellow Envelope Act' during the plenary session on August 5, the first day of the August extraordinary session of the National Assembly. The People Power Party has stated that if the Yellow Envelope Act is passed solely by the opposition, it will immediately recommend that the president exercise the right to request reconsideration (veto power).

As a result, the number of contentious bills expected to face President Yoon Seok-yeol's veto this month alone reaches six. These include the Yellow Envelope Act scheduled to pass on this day, the four 'Broadcasting Acts' (amendments to the Korea Communications Commission Act, Broadcasting Act, Korea Broadcasting Promotion Foundation Act, and Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act) which the opposition passed unilaterally in plenary sessions from July 25 to 30, and the nationwide 250,000 won support bill (Special Measures Act on the Payment of Livelihood Recovery Support Funds) passed on August 2.

President Yoon, who left for summer vacation on this day, may first exercise his veto power on the 'Broadcasting Acts' during his vacation. Although the specific vacation period and location have not been disclosed, the presidential office explained that it could be flexible depending on the state affairs. President Yoon has exercised his veto power a total of 15 times during his term. If he vetoes all six bills, the total will increase to 21 times.

On the 30th, members of the People Power Party began leaving the plenary session hall as the vote started on the fourth bill among the 'Broadcasting 4 Acts,' the amendment to the Educational Broadcasting Corporation Act (EBS Act), during the National Assembly plenary session. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

In the August National Assembly, the sequence of 'opposition unilateral passage → veto → re-vote → discard' is expected to continue for contentious bills. The number of bills subject to presidential veto is also expected to increase. This is because the Democratic Party has announced plans for '2 special prosecutors and 4 parliamentary investigations' during the August session. The 2 special prosecutors refer to the 'Special Prosecutor Acts for Chae Sang-byeong and Mrs. Kim Geon-hee,' and the 4 parliamentary investigations concern 'Chae Sang-byeong, broadcasting control, Yangpyeong Expressway suspicions, and East Sea oil field development.'

They are currently pushing for the re-submission of the revised and supplemented Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act. Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, expressed determination, saying, "We will knock 10 times, 100 times, and more until the door of truth opens." The possibility of accepting Han Dong-hoon's 'third-party recommendation method special prosecutor act' is a variable. If both ruling and opposition parties accept the special prosecutor act, it is analyzed that a new phase could be reached. However, the People Power Party's floor leadership maintains the position that police and prosecution investigations should take priority over accepting the third-party recommendation method special prosecutor act.

The People Power Party's preparations for the 'Democratic Party dissolution trial' and the 'National Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae dismissal' public petition hearings are also cited as factors prolonging the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties. An opposition official expressed concern, saying, "If President Yoon exercises veto power on all six bills, the re-vote will effectively continue until the regular session begins in September," adding, "The confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties over the state audit and re-votes on contentious bills could be prolonged into the second half of the year."