76 Agenda Items Passed at Sunday Plenary Session
National Assembly Approves Emergency Room "Ping-Pong" Reform
Scope of Compensation Orders Expanded to Cover Digital Sex Crimes
On October 26, the National Assembly convened a plenary session and passed 76 agenda items, including the amendment to the Emergency Medical Services Act aimed at addressing the so-called "emergency room ping-pong" issue. Among the bills passed was a partial amendment to the Rules on the Number of Members of Standing Committees of the National Assembly, which revises the names of certain standing committees in accordance with changes to the Government Organization Act.
On the same day, the National Assembly also approved a partial amendment to the Local Finance Act in the plenary session, which expands the requirements for issuing local government bonds to allow local governments to raise funds for urgent fiscal needs. Previously, the Local Finance Act limited the issuance of local government bonds to large-scale investment projects and disaster recovery projects. As a result, local governments faced difficulties in raising funds through bond issuance when urgent fiscal needs arose due to unforeseen lawsuits or sudden economic downturns. With this amendment, local governments can now issue bonds to address urgent fiscal demands that could not have been anticipated in advance.
The amendment to the Emergency Medical Services Act, which aims to improve the "emergency room ping-pong" situation, was also passed. The revised act requires emergency medical institutions to establish and operate dedicated phone numbers for communication with those transporting emergency patients. It also mandates that emergency medical institutions report information necessary to confirm their capacity to the Central Emergency Medical Center, which must then make this information public. In addition, the amendment allows the state and local governments to provide financial support to emergency medical institutions and emergency transport companies that assist with patient transfers and evacuations during disasters.
The partial amendment to the Commercial Building Lease Protection Act, which requires landlords to provide tenants with details of management fees upon request, was also passed in the plenary session.
Those who threaten with digital sexual exploitation materials are now subject to compensation orders
The Special Act on the Promotion of Litigation Procedures was also partially amended to enable victims of sex crimes to more easily receive compensation through criminal proceedings. Under the amendment, the scope of compensation orders has been expanded to include offenses such as the distribution of fake videos under the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes, threats or coercion using recorded materials, and the production or distribution of child and youth sexual exploitation materials under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth from Sexual Offenses. As a result of this amendment, victims of digital sex crimes can now more easily obtain compensation orders against those who create fake digital sex crime videos or use them for blackmail during criminal proceedings.
The partial amendment to the Rules on the Number of Members of Standing Committees of the National Assembly was passed in a revised form. According to the amended rules, the name of the Planning and Finance Committee has been changed to the Planning, Finance and Economy Committee. In addition, the number of members for the Industry, Trade, Resources, Small and Medium Venture Business Committee has been set at 24, while the number of members for the Climate, Energy, Environment, and Labor Committee has been set at 22.
The National Assembly also adopted the report on the results of the parliamentary investigation into the Osong underpass disaster, which aims to uncover the truth and prevent recurrence.
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik commented on the unusual fact that the plenary session was held on a Sunday during the parliamentary audit period, stating, "Although we have previously held plenary sessions during audits to address urgent personnel issues or external matters, this is the first time a plenary session has been convened specifically to process bills. The fact that the ruling and opposition parties agreed to hold a plenary session on a Sunday during the audit period is very meaningful, as it demonstrates their commitment to addressing livelihood-related legislation."
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