[Exclusive] 72% of Bills in the 22nd National Assembly Passed by Consensus with Over 200 Votes

Out of 716 Bills, 516 Passed with Over 200 Votes
Approval Rate Rises: 41% in the 20th, 67% in the 21st, 72% in the 22nd National Assembly
Bipartisan Cooperation Stands Out in Non-Contentious Legislation

The 22nd National Assembly, which was launched last year, has seen continued confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties, including the impeachment of the president. However, an analysis of the legislative process shows that 72% of bills were passed with the overwhelming approval of more than 200 lawmakers. This figure is higher than the 41% recorded by the 20th National Assembly and the 67% by the 21st National Assembly. Securing 200 votes, which is equivalent to two-thirds of the total seats, indicates that the ruling and opposition parties reached a consensus during the legislative process.

On the occasion of Constitution Day on July 17, Asia Economy conducted a comprehensive analysis of the voting records for each bill in the 22nd National Assembly. The results showed that out of 716 bills processed, 516 received more than 200 votes in favor. This means that despite fierce political strife, the ruling and opposition parties fulfilled their roles when it came to handling non-contentious legislation.

According to Article 109 of the National Assembly Act, unless otherwise specified, a bill is passed with the attendance of a majority of registered lawmakers and the approval of a majority of those present. As a result, a simple majority is sufficient to pass a bill. However, it was confirmed that a significant number of bills were processed in plenary sessions based on agreements reached between the ruling and opposition parties in standing committees and other forums.

It is noteworthy that more than seven out of ten bills secured a level of support exceeding the supermajority threshold (approval by at least two-thirds), which is applied to issues such as presidential impeachment, constitutional amendments, and re-voting on bills subject to a presidential veto. This proportion has risen significantly compared to previous assemblies. In the 20th National Assembly, 41.2% of bills (1,440 out of 3,492) were passed with more than 200 votes, while the 21st National Assembly saw 66.7% (2,181 out of 3,272) of bills pass with such support.

In the 22nd National Assembly, the Democratic Party of Korea, which holds 167 seats?well over half the total?along with pro-government parties such as the Cho Kuk Innovation Party (12 seats), the Progressive Party (4 seats), the Basic Income Party (1 seat), and the Social Democratic Party (1 seat), have no difficulty passing bills. However, without the agreement of the People Power Party, it is impossible to reach the 200-vote threshold. Analyzing the legislative process, it appears that a significant number of bills were passed with the approval of People Power Party lawmakers. In fact, 46.7% of all bills processed (334 bills) received more than 250 votes in favor, which is nearly half. In comparison, only 3.4% of bills in the 20th National Assembly and 12.5% in the 21st National Assembly achieved this level of support.

On the 3rd, the partial amendment to the Commercial Act was passed at the plenary session of the National Assembly. 2025.7.3 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

However, it would be premature to judge the 22nd National Assembly as exemplary solely based on the high proportion of bills processed through consensus. In reality, the ruling and opposition parties frequently clashed over issues such as the 12·3 Martial Law, two presidential impeachment motions, and the frequent exercise of the presidential veto. They also struggled to reach agreements on several contentious bills, such as the Special Act on Semiconductors. Nevertheless, for issues where there was little difference in opinion between the parties, the spirit of consensus was reflected, which can be seen as a sign of the "restoration of politics."

The participation rate in plenary votes has also improved. In the 20th National Assembly, the participation rate, measured as the proportion of lawmakers who voted out of the total, was 67.3%. This rose to 74.4% in the 21st National Assembly and 81.2% in the 22nd. As attendance at plenary sessions and other activities began to be reflected in party nominations, lawmakers' diligence improved. On average, 202 lawmakers participated in each vote in the 20th National Assembly, 223 in the 21st, and 242 in the 22nd.

Choi Byungchun, head of the New Growth Economy Research Institute, explained, "Unlike previous assemblies, starting with the 21st National Assembly, a hegemonic party with a stable majority emerged, making it possible to form large alliances. As a result, it has become easier to reach consensus on issues that have the support of standing committees or public opinion." He added that while parties may clash over issues with significant differences in opinion, such as through the use of vetoes, in other cases, bills are processed based on the proposals of the majority party.

The improvement in the quality of legislative review has also played a significant role. Lee Gwanhu, Director of the National Assembly Legislative Research Service, analyzed, "Support organizations such as the relevant standing committees, the Legislative Research Service, the National Assembly Budget Office, and the Legal Affairs Office have increased the completeness of bills. In addition, the National Assembly has held many forums and meetings for adjustment and compromise, which appears to have contributed to the higher rate of consensus-based bill processing."