Han Byung-do (left), acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, shakes hands with People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok at a full session of the National Assembly's Education Committee on Tuesday. [Yonhap]
Han Byung-do (left), acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, shakes hands with People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok at a full session of the National Assembly's Education Committee on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

The Democratic Party of Korea announced Tuesday that it is pushing to hold the first plenary session of the August extraordinary National Assembly session on Aug. 13.

Cheon Jun-ho, the Democratic Party's senior floor management deputy, said at a floor strategy meeting at the National Assembly on Tuesday that he hoped the People Power Party would "stop holding livelihood bills hostage in August" and formally proposed convening a plenary session on Aug. 13. "We hope the livelihood bills that have been held back and unable to clear the plenary threshold due to the PPP's obstruction will finally be freed," he added.

According to political circles, if the Aug. 13 plenary session goes ahead, the first item up for a vote would be an amendment to the National Assembly Act that would shorten the fast-track period from a maximum of 330 days to 90 days.

The bill was placed on the agenda at the plenary session on the final day of the July extraordinary session — July 31 — but did not proceed to a vote after the PPP launched a filibuster, a legally permitted tactic of unlimited debate to delay proceedings. Under National Assembly rules, the bill is scheduled for a vote at the first plenary session of the August extraordinary session.

The Democratic Party also said it wants the plenary session to take up non-contentious bills that have already cleared standing committee and Legislation and Judiciary Committee review.

Acting leader and floor leader Han Byung-do said Tuesday that 113 bills left unprocessed during the first half of the Assembly term are pending before the plenary, with two bills and 75 bills passed by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on July 15 and July 29, respectively, during the second half. "We must hold the plenary session on the 13th and begin processing these bills," Han said.


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