DP Designates Mourning Period for Lee Haechan's Passing... Only Livelihood Bills to Be Handled on the 29th

Contentious Bills to Be Excluded from Plenary Session
Party Leadership to Serve as Chief Mourners During Period of Remembrance

With the passing of Lee Haechan, Executive Vice Chairperson of the National Unification Advisory Council and Senior Advisor to the Democratic Party of Korea, the Democratic Party announced that at the National Assembly plenary session scheduled for January 29, only agreed-upon livelihood bills will be processed, while bills likely to provoke partisan conflict will be excluded.

Park Suhyeon, Chief Spokesperson of the Democratic Party, made this announcement at the National Assembly on January 26 after the Supreme Council meeting.

Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 26th. January 26, 2026 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheongrae designated this week as a period of mourning for the late Executive Vice Chairperson Lee and instructed that only essential party work be conducted during this time. During the funeral period, Jeong and the party leadership will remain at the memorial altar, serving as chief mourners.

Chief Spokesperson Park stated, "(Leader Jeong) requested that party members be especially mindful of their words and actions during the mourning period and refrain from issuing statements or making remarks that could be seen as politically contentious." He also said, "In addition to displaying mourning banners, Leader Jeong instructed that any previously displayed banners in the name of the Democratic Party be removed."

In his opening remarks at the Supreme Council meeting, Leader Jeong said, "A symbol of Korea's democratization and a great star of the Democratic Party has passed away," and expressed his condolences, saying, "I pray for the eternal rest of former Prime Minister Lee Haechan, a towering figure in democracy."

Leader Jeong added, "We will never turn away from the unfinished tasks that our Senior Advisor left for this country. We will pursue unceasing reform and open the path to peace on the Korean Peninsula," and stated, "Except for essential party work, the Democratic Party will focus on mourning together with the people."