[Teheran-ro] A National Assembly That Is Far Too Slow

"At the current pace of legislation, it is extremely difficult for us to respond proactively to changes in the international community."
President Lee Jae-myung made this remark on the 10th during a Cabinet meeting, criticizing the National Assembly. He added, "I really did not want to say this to the National Assembly if I could help it, but I think I have to," openly expressing his frustration. Earlier, at a Cabinet meeting on the 27th of last month, President Lee had already pointed to the slow legislative process, saying, "Right now, the National Assembly is so slow that it is impossible to get any work done."
His comments are widely seen as directed not at a single party, but at both the ruling and opposition camps. Why is it that political wrangling moves at breakneck speed, while legislation on people’s livelihoods and the economy crawls along? The president is essentially arguing that politicians may fight, but the work itself must not come to a halt.
Responsibility lies with both sides. The ruling party is consumed with internal power struggles and battles for control, while the opposition pours its political energy into fighting the government. Within the Democratic Party of Korea, intra-party power struggles dominate, and within the People Power Party, a hard-line confrontational stance takes precedence. Every party claims to put livelihoods and the economy first, yet the National Assembly that truly elevates people’s livelihoods to its top priority is nowhere to be seen.
The National Assembly is supposed to be the house of the people’s will. It should be a place where a wide range of issues are debated. Conflict in this process may even be natural. But endless gridlock with no conclusion is impossible to justify to the public. As lawmakers repeatedly stop when they fail to reach agreement and postpone anything that seems politically costly, the Assembly is squandering its own time. Meanwhile, people’s lives do not wait. It is also troubling that, as political conflict deepens, the process of debate and deliberation on bills is being shortened or skipped altogether. Positions on both sides should be adjusted and compromises found, yet legislation increasingly tends toward an all-or-nothing outcome of either 100 or 0.
Now the ball is in the National Assembly’s court. On the 12th, President Lee will invite Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae and People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk to the presidential office in Seoul for a luncheon meeting. With no limits placed on the agenda, the three are expected to exchange candid views on the overall direction of state affairs. President Lee is likely to call for responsible cooperation from both the ruling party and the main opposition party.
What remains to be seen is how the National Assembly will respond to the president’s challenge. This is no time to be mired in partisan strife. The world is swept up in a wave of protectionism, and the country stands in the midst of a great transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI). The United States recently announced a sudden reimposition of tariffs, citing delays in passing the Special Act on Investment in the United States. This is precisely why the Assembly must move quickly on legislation related to livelihoods and the economy. It is time for lawmakers to set aside political battles and focus squarely on people’s lives and on the economy.
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter