Ruling and Opposition Parties to Pass 90 Livelihood Bills on the 29th... Further Discussion on Filibuster Prevention Bill

People Power Party: "Filibuster to Be Withdrawn for Non-Contentious Bills"

The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to pass 90 non-contentious livelihood bills at the plenary session scheduled for January 29. The People Power Party has stated that it will withdraw its filibuster only for these livelihood bills.

The chief deputy floor leaders of both parties announced this decision on the afternoon of January 28 during a meeting presided over by the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Yonhap News

Yoo Sangbum, chief deputy floor leader of the People Power Party, explained, "Among the 90 bills, we have agreed to process them by withdrawing the filibuster requests filed by the People Power Party."

He added that the so-called "filibuster prevention bill," which the Democratic Party is promoting, will be discussed further between the floor leaders of both parties. Initially, the Democratic Party had sought to legislate a requirement that at least 60 members, the quorum for a plenary session, must remain present during a filibuster. However, discussions are now underway to exclude this provision and instead only include clauses allowing the Speaker to appoint a presiding member and to conduct the cloture vote electronically. This move is seen as an effort to ease the burden on Woo Wonshik, the Speaker of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party, and Lee Hakyoung, the Deputy Speaker, as Ju Ho-young, the Deputy Speaker from the People Power Party, has refused to preside over the filibuster.

Cheon Junho, chief deputy floor leader of the Democratic Party, added, "Regarding the National Assembly Act (the filibuster prevention bill), there will likely be a meeting between the floor leaders today. We expect that further discussions will lead to a newly finalized agreement."