Special Act on Semiconductors and Constitution Day Holiday Bill Passed...Ruling and Opposition Parties Approve 91 Livelihood Bills

Speaker's Authority Can Be Delegated to Standing Committee Chair During Filibuster
Jurisdiction Over National University Hospitals Transferred from Ministry of Education to Ministry of Health and Welfare

On January 29, the National Assembly held a plenary session and passed the Special Act on Semiconductors, the amendment to the Act on the National Assembly, and other bills.

At the plenary session that day, the National Assembly passed 91 bills. The ruling and opposition parties had initially discussed processing around 60 non-controversial bills, but after several rounds of negotiations, they increased the number of bills to be jointly approved.

Among the bills that passed the plenary session was the Special Act on Semiconductors, which had been a point of contention between the parties. This act establishes a Special Committee for Strengthening the Competitiveness of the Semiconductor Industry under the direct control of the President, designates semiconductor clusters, and stipulates that both the national and local governments provide financial and administrative support. It also requires the government to create and support semiconductor infrastructure, expand power, water, and road networks, grant exemptions from preliminary feasibility studies, and provide assistance with permits and approvals to strengthen the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry.

The ruling and opposition parties had disagreed over whether to exempt R&D personnel in the semiconductor industry from the 52-hour workweek, given the unique nature of the industry. Ultimately, the Democratic Party of Korea's position, which opposed the application of the 52-hour rule, was accepted, allowing the Special Act on Semiconductors to pass the plenary session.

The amendment to the Act on the National Assembly, which allows the Speaker to delegate presiding authority to a standing committee chair during an unlimited debate (filibuster), also passed the plenary session. The Democratic Party and others had included provisions in the amendment requiring compliance with quorum rules during filibusters, but after negotiations between the parties before the plenary session, these provisions were removed.

On the 29th, during the plenary session held at the National Assembly, an amendment to the Partial Revision Bill of the National Assembly Act (alternative) was approved. January 29, 2026 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

The amendment to the Act on Public Holidays, which designates Constitution Day as a public holiday-the only national commemorative day that was not previously a holiday-also passed the plenary session. The amendment expands the current scope of public holidays, which is limited to March 1st Independence Movement Day, Liberation Day, National Foundation Day, and Hangeul Proclamation Day, to include all national commemorative days. Once the amendment is promulgated after passing the Cabinet meeting, Constitution Day will be designated as a public holiday for the first time in 18 years.

The amendment to the State Property Act, which requires the government to report the details of any disposal of state property to the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly, also passed the plenary session.

The amendment to the National University Hospital Establishment Act, which transfers jurisdiction over national university hospitals from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, also passed the plenary session. This aims to strengthen national university hospitals as core institutions for regional and essential healthcare and to seek ways to advance research and education to support this role.

The Act on the Promotion of Artificial Intelligence and Data-Based Administration, which provides a legal foundation for the public sector to not only utilize data but also promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI), also passed the plenary session.

In addition, amendments to laws related to veterans' affairs were passed, including measures to strengthen support for Agent Orange victims and their second-generation descendants, as well as for those recognized for their contributions to the May 18 Democratic Movement and their families.