Parties lock horns over anti-terrorism bills

By Kim Hyo-jin

The rival parties remain poles apart over whether to approve a number of pending bills aimed at passing security measures to counter international terrorism, dimming the prospect of an early implementation of such steps following the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last week.

Amid growing public concern about the possibility of terrorist attacks here, the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) agreed Tuesday to review the bills as early as possible.

However, they have locked horns over the content of the pending bills that propose expanding the functions of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), as critics maintain that the spy agency could abuse such powers.

The Saenuri Party argued that the NIS’s expanded role could increase the government’s counterterrorist capabilities. Whereas, the NPAD expressed concern about the spy agency abusing its power, mindful of previous scandals including a smear campaign that swayed public sentiment in favor of the then ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye during the 2012 presidential election.

The NPAD suggested that the National Security Council (NSC) under the presidential office could become a control tower instead. It also set up an anti-terrorism taskforce to further discuss how to lay the groundwork for the anti-terrorism mission, lawmakers said.

“We can’t possibly agree on the legislation that would allow a bigger role for the controversial spy agency,” Rep. Choi Jae-chun, head of the NPAD’s policy committee said during the party meeting. “We will find a way that Cheong Wa Dae’s NSC could lead the counter-terrorism mission because it has legitimacy under the Constitution.”

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning could take a leading role to deter cyber terrorism, he added.

The Saenuri Party reiterated the need for passing the related bills, urging the opposition camp to join bipartisan efforts against terrorism.

“We only have a presidential decree that was issued in 1981 as direction for taking anti-terrorist countermeasures,” Saenuri Party floor leader Rep. Won Yoo-chul said. “Due to the lack of legal back-up, the intelligence agency is not even able to identify 10 Koreans reported to have publicly supported the IS.”

Rep. Suh Chung-won, the party’s supreme council member, said the anti-terrorism bills should be passed this year.

“In order to appease public concern, the Assembly should carry on with its efforts against terrorism by signing into law the relevant bills,” he said.

A total of five bills, all proposed by Saenuri lawmakers, are pending in the National Assembly.

The bills, largely supported by the Saenuri Party, were proposed by Rep. Lee byung-suk with the support of 72 lawmakers in February, following a knife attack on U.S. ambassador to Korea, Mark Lippert.

The bills authorize a “Terrorist Threat Control Center” under the NIS, allowing the body to manage data on potential terrorists.

If passed, the spy agency would be able to collect information on suspected terrorists and take measures including stopping them trading in foreign currencies or banning them from entering the country.

The National Assembly fell short of proceeding with the discussion about the bills earlier this year after opposition lawmakers voiced concern about the overexpansion of the NIS and possible abuses of authority.