Jeong Cheong-rae Expresses Dissatisfaction with Woo Chairman's Proposal
The Democratic Party of Korea has agreed to accept Speaker Woo Won-shik's proposal to hold a plenary session of the National Assembly after the Chuseok holiday.
Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly, is holding a press conference on current issues at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 11th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the 12th, the Democratic Party decided at a party meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, to hold a plenary session on the 19th to process the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act, the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act, and the Local Currency Act. Yoon Jong-gun, the Democratic Party floor spokesperson, told reporters after the meeting, "There was a strong atmosphere to generously accept Speaker Woo's decision, who hopes to resolve the medical crisis ahead of Chuseok," adding, "The party's position is that it is appropriate to postpone the plenary session to the 19th and process the three bills."
Speaker Woo proposed to the opposition party at a press conference the day before to postpone the processing of contentious bills until after Chuseok to resolve the medical crisis. Woo said, "It is in line with the public's expectations for the opposition party to be flexible with the timing of bill processing so that dialogue and cooperation among the ruling party, opposition, and the government are not cut off," adding, "The duty of the National Assembly now is to quickly resolve the legislative conflicts."
The Democratic Party appears to have judged that there is no problem in processing the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act even if the plenary session is delayed until after the Chuseok holiday. Until the day before, the Democratic Party argued that the plenary session must be held before Chuseok to pass the special prosecutor act before the statute of limitations expires on the public election law violation charges against First Lady Kim Geon-hee. The Democratic Party plans to complete the re-vote on the Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act by October 7, before the National Assembly audit, considering the possibility of a presidential veto. Spokesperson Yoon said, "Even if we process it on the 19th, the re-vote procedure is not impossible," adding, "We believe the originally planned schedule is still feasible."
However, it is known that some lawmakers expressed displeasure with Speaker Woo's proposal during the party meeting. The day before, Jeong Cheong-rae, chairman of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and opposition party judiciary committee members reacted with "shock" to the postponement of the plenary session. Spokesperson Yoon said, "There were some comments during the meeting suggesting that Speaker Woo should be protested against. Only Chairman Jeong expressed an opinion," but added, "Speaker Woo did not make the decision unilaterally but exchanged opinions with the floor leadership."
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