Of around 200 shared presidential pledges, 80 to be legislated
Agreement to thoroughly consult on bills with differing opinions
Consensus reached on principle to avoid unilateral passage of bills
The Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party have agreed to form a 'Livelihood Policy Pledge Council' (tentative name) to discuss their shared campaign pledges from the last presidential election. The policy chiefs of both parties also drew attention by emphasizing the importance of consultation, even on bills where there are significant differences of opinion between the ruling and opposition parties.
Jin Sungjoon, Policy Chief of the Democratic Party, and Kim Jungjae, Policy Chief of the People Power Party, met at the National Assembly on this day. Lee Jeongmoon, Senior Deputy Policy Chief of the Democratic Party, and Kim Eunhye, Senior Deputy Policy Chief of the People Power Party, also attended the meeting, which served as an introductory session following Kim Jungjae's recent appointment as Policy Chief.
Jin Sungjoon stated, "After screening the pledges ourselves, we found that there are as many as around 200 shared pledges between the two parties, and about 80 of them require legislation." He added, "Among those, some of the People Power Party's pledges are even more progressive than ours. We intend to actively accept and pursue them." Kim Jungjae referred to a precedent set during the tenure of former Policy Chief Kim Sanghoon, when he and Jin Sungjoon legislated shared campaign pledges for the general election, saying, "We will respond by showing that there is no division between ruling and opposition parties when it comes to the people's livelihood."
The policy chiefs also agreed on the need for thorough consultation on current issues where there are disagreements. Kim Jungjae said, "There are bills that have become controversial due to differences between the parties," and continued, "For bills such as the Yellow Envelope Act, the Grain Management Act and other four agricultural laws, the three broadcasting laws, and the Trucking Transport Business Act, I hope we choose a path where the ruling and opposition parties put their heads together and, even if it takes time, find a reasonable alternative, rather than passing them unilaterally." Jin Sungjoon responded, "There are not a few bills where there are differences between the parties, but we will do our best to ensure thorough consultation and review before handling them," and added, "A good precedent was set this time. The amendment to the Commercial Act was an issue with significant differences between the parties, but as it neared resolution, the People Power Party took a forward-looking approach, and the 3% rule, which the floor leadership thought would be the most difficult part of the negotiations, was handled. We will do our best to continue setting such precedents."
After the introductory meeting, Kim Jungjae commented on the three broadcasting laws expected to be handled at the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee on this day, saying, "It is not appropriate to argue over past events at our first meeting, so I generally stated that unilateral passage of bills should not happen." He pointed out, "In the long run, unilateral passage of bills will never be beneficial to either the Democratic Party or President Lee Jaemyung." He further remarked, "At first, sweet food may seem good for the body, but if it continues for a long time, I have no doubt that the public will eventually bring down the hammer on such one-sided actions."
However, the meetings between the policy chiefs have not been regularized. Kim Jungjae explained, "Since we do not know how the direction of the policy chief positions will change before each party's leadership election, we could not set a regular date," and added, "But we agreed to meet frequently."
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