Ruling party pushes for plenary session on the 24th, prioritizing administrative integration bills

According to Financial News, the Democratic Party of Korea has decided to convene a plenary session on the 24th and first deal with the Special Act on Administrative Integration of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, the Special Act on Administrative Integration of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, and the Special Act on Administrative Integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province.
After the policy coordination meeting at the National Assembly on the 19th, Kim Hyun-jung, floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party, stated, "We believe the administrative integration special acts must be passed by the end of this month for them to take effect from July, so we are considering them the top priority items at the plenary session on the 24th."
Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Kim Min-seok had already said during a parliamentary interpellation session on the 11th that if the administrative integration special acts do not pass within this month, regional integration will not be possible.
In addition to non-contentious bills such as the amendment to the Child Allowance Act, which the ruling and opposition parties have agreed on, the Democratic Party also plans to table several controversial bills over which the parties remain sharply divided. These include: the third amendment to the Commercial Act of the Republic of Korea, which would mandate the cancellation of treasury shares; an amendment to the National Referendum Act to enable constitutional revision; an amendment to the Court Organization Act to increase the number of Supreme Court justices; an amendment to the Constitutional Court Act to introduce a system of constitutional complaints; and bills to establish a Public Prosecution Office and a Serious Crime Investigation Agency as part of prosecutorial reform.
At the policy coordination meeting, Han Byung-do, the Democratic Party's parliamentary leader, warned, "If the People Power Party once again tries to hold us back with a sham filibuster (an unlimited debate under the National Assembly Act used to obstruct proceedings), the Democratic Party will mobilize every available means to pass livelihood-focused reform bills."
His remarks are seen as signaling a renewed push to amend the National Assembly Act so that a filibuster can be forcibly terminated if at least 60 lawmakers do not remain in the plenary chamber, effectively countering the opposition’s tactics.
He added, "With the determination to wage a legislative war, we will further accelerate the passage of livelihood reform legislation," and continued, "We once again express strong regret toward the People Power Party, which has boycotted not only the plenary session but even the Special Committee on Investment in the United States, which is directly tied to the national interest, citing the handling of bills by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly."

gowell@fnnews.com Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter