Speaker Rules Out Railroading Media Bills, FTA Motion
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o indicated Thursday he may invoke his right to table six pending bills unless the governing and opposition parties narrow their differences over the contentious media industry-related bills and a motion to ratify a free trade agreement with the United States.
The six reform measures include easing regulations on bank ownership by allowing conglomerates to have bigger stakes. Currently, large businesses are allowed to own up to 4 percent in non-voting stock.
Kim made public his plan as the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) are boycotting Assembly committee sessions because the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) unilaterally tabled the media bills at a sub-committee Wednesday.
The DP opposes the measures on cross-media ownership, insisting that the bills only serve conglomerates or conservative newspaper companies.
Ko Heung-kil, chairman of the National Assembly Committee of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Broadcasting and Communications, invoked his right to table the controversial bills. The DP claimed that the introduction of the bills was ``invalid.''
DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun accused the ruling GNP of attempting to railroad the controversial bills without parliamentary consensus. He warned it could trigger public resistance.
GNP Chairman Park Hee-tae, meanwhile, said his party would keep trying to convince the DP lawmakers to agree on a compromise.
In an effort to get the legislature on track, Kim set up meetings with floor leaders of the two parties, where he expressed concern over confrontation at the culture committee.
He was quoted as saying that legislators should pass the six bills first ― before dealing with the two disputed ones ― during the current session, adding that t operation of the legislature was subject to principle. The Assembly session will continue through March 3.
Officials at the secretariat there took his words to mean he might invoke his power to advance the bills to the main floor for a full vote.