Seoul: The National Assembly convened a regular session Tuesday, with heated clashes expected between the ruling and opposition parties over next year's budget and key legislative issues.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during the 100-day session, which runs through December 9, lawmakers are expected to wrangle over the government's 821 trillion-won (US$595 billion) budget proposal for next year and confirmation hearings for six minister nominees recently picked by President Lee Jae Myung. National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik called on lawmakers to make improving people's livelihoods their top priority, emphasizing that the country's economic growth driven by a semiconductor boom has yet to be felt by the people in their daily lives.
Cho stated, "The first, second and third priorities are all people's livelihoods," during his opening address in a plenary session. He also highlighted artificial intelligence (AI), advanced technologies, youth, the climate crisis, and peace on the Korean Peninsula as key agenda items for the country's future. He urged the rival parties to swiftly handle bills related to semiconductors and AI, noting that "A one-year delay in legislation creates a 10-year gap."
A number of contentious bills are likely to take center stage during the regular session, including a proposal to use parts of Yongsan Park in central Seoul for housing development and judicial reform bills. The floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) are scheduled to give policy speeches Monday and Tuesday, respectively, followed by four days of interpellation sessions to be attended by the heads of government ministries and key state offices, covering politics, diplomacy, security, and other issues.
The confirmation hearings for six minister nominees are expected to be held later this month, which could be another potential source of partisan wrangling. The DP has vowed to complete the hearings before the Chuseok holiday, which starts September 24 this year. Starting October 6, parliament will conduct a three-week audit of government offices. The unicameral parliament opens its regular session on September 1 every year for a 100-day run.