The first regular session of the 22nd National Assembly began on September 1. This session is expected to focus on legislation and budget support for the government's recently announced three major projects. Additionally, personnel hearings for six ministerial nominees, announced on August 30, are anticipated to lead to significant confrontations between the ruling and opposition parties.
The National Assembly entered a 100-day regular session starting with the opening ceremony, which will run until December 9. Key dates include a plenary session on September 3, speeches by party leaders on September 7-8, and government questioning sessions on September 9-11 and 14. A three-week National Assembly inspection will also take place starting October 6. During this period, the review of next year's government budget proposal will also occur.
In his opening remarks, National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik stated, "The priority of this regular session is to narrow the gap between the national report card and the people's household accounts, ensuring that the warmth of growth is evenly distributed. Let us focus solely on the people and their livelihoods. Even if there are differences, let us each take a step back for the sake of the public's well-being."
Ahead of the regular session, the Democratic Party and the People Power Party agreed to meet at the policy committee level to expedite the processing of livelihood-related legislation. They also decided to hold joint meetings every two weeks to expand common ground between the two parties, signaling a willingness to cooperate. However, clashes between the parties are still expected during the session.
For the ruling party, the core of this regular session will be legislative support and budget allocation for the government's three major projects. In contrast, the opposition party is likely to focus on the policy failures of the Lee Jae-myung administration in areas such as real estate and finance. Given that the proposed budget for next year amounts to 821 trillion won, a thorough examination of the budget's size and appropriateness is anticipated.
The personnel hearings for the six ministerial nominees, including those from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, as well as the nominee for the Special Inspector General at the Blue House and the Supreme Court nominee, are expected to be contentious. The People Power Party has identified Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, as a top priority for withdrawal, indicating a rigorous vetting process. Conversely, the Democratic Party, which has recently had Kim as the ruling party's secretary in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, is expected to actively defend him, leading to inevitable confrontations.
Furthermore, the upcoming National Assembly inspection next month is also expected to see fierce competition between the parties. With the next general election approaching, next year's inspection is likely to be less than substantive, but there are numerous contentious issues from this year, including the single-item leveraged exchange-traded fund (ETF), real estate tax reform, and the abolition of supplementary investigative powers for the prosecution, suggesting a more heated inspection than in previous years.
The National Assembly entered a 100-day regular session starting with the opening ceremony, which will run until December 9. Key dates include a plenary session on September 3, speeches by party leaders on September 7-8, and government questioning sessions on September 9-11 and 14. A three-week National Assembly inspection will also take place starting October 6. During this period, the review of next year's government budget proposal will also occur.
In his opening remarks, National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik stated, "The priority of this regular session is to narrow the gap between the national report card and the people's household accounts, ensuring that the warmth of growth is evenly distributed. Let us focus solely on the people and their livelihoods. Even if there are differences, let us each take a step back for the sake of the public's well-being."
Ahead of the regular session, the Democratic Party and the People Power Party agreed to meet at the policy committee level to expedite the processing of livelihood-related legislation. They also decided to hold joint meetings every two weeks to expand common ground between the two parties, signaling a willingness to cooperate. However, clashes between the parties are still expected during the session.
For the ruling party, the core of this regular session will be legislative support and budget allocation for the government's three major projects. In contrast, the opposition party is likely to focus on the policy failures of the Lee Jae-myung administration in areas such as real estate and finance. Given that the proposed budget for next year amounts to 821 trillion won, a thorough examination of the budget's size and appropriateness is anticipated.
The personnel hearings for the six ministerial nominees, including those from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, as well as the nominee for the Special Inspector General at the Blue House and the Supreme Court nominee, are expected to be contentious. The People Power Party has identified Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, as a top priority for withdrawal, indicating a rigorous vetting process. Conversely, the Democratic Party, which has recently had Kim as the ruling party's secretary in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, is expected to actively defend him, leading to inevitable confrontations.
Furthermore, the upcoming National Assembly inspection next month is also expected to see fierce competition between the parties. With the next general election approaching, next year's inspection is likely to be less than substantive, but there are numerous contentious issues from this year, including the single-item leveraged exchange-traded fund (ETF), real estate tax reform, and the abolition of supplementary investigative powers for the prosecution, suggesting a more heated inspection than in previous years.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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