Han Duck-soo, acting president and prime minister, said on the 19th, "I decided (to exercise the veto) considering the spirit of the Constitution and the future of the nation as the top priority."
Han, the acting president, stated at an emergency cabinet meeting chaired on this day, "Among the bills that passed the National Assembly on Dec. 6 and were sent to the government, six bills that the government and the ruling party have consistently opposed are included. As the acting president, I repeatedly pondered and contemplated what kind of choice would be the position of a responsible government in this nationally dire situation."
Han noted, "Regarding the revision of the four agricultural laws, I fully understand and respect the legislative intent of the National Assembly to ensure the development of agriculture and rural areas and the income of farmers," but also stated, "If these laws are implemented, there is concern that supply of specific items such as rice will be excessive, distorting market functions and causing a massive fiscal burden." He added, "Significant controversy is expected, as it does not align with the basic principles of disaster relief support and insurance."
Han particularly addressed the 'rice price stabilization measure' included in the revision of the Grain Management Act, saying, "It will fix the chronic structure of rice oversupply, further deepening the decline in rice prices, and make market functions difficult, leading to excessive government intervention and a massive fiscal burden."
He further emphasized, "Considering the government's limited fiscal situation, if massive finances are invested in the mandatory rice purchase system and rice price stabilization measures, it will make investment in agriculture and rural areas for the future of South Korea, such as the expansion of smart farms and fostering of young farmers, extremely difficult."
Regarding the Agricultural Price Stabilization Act, he said, "It includes making it mandatory for the government to pay the difference to producers when the market prices of major agricultural products such as vegetables and fruits fall below the benchmark price," adding, "This amendment also poses concerns about side effects similar to those of the Grain Management Act amendment."
On the Agricultural and Fisheries Disaster Countermeasure Act, he said, "It includes content that goes beyond supporting the rehabilitation of damaged facilities and stabilizing the livelihoods of affected residents in the event of a disaster in the agriculture and fisheries sector, to covering expenses incurred in production before the disaster." As for the Agricultural and Fisheries Disaster Insurance Act, he noted, "Even if damages caused by natural disasters result in insurance payments to farmers and fishers, it is restricted from applying a surcharge on the premium rate," and added, "Excluding damage from natural disasters from surcharge application is contrary to the basic principle of insurance that premiums should be proportional to disaster risk. Applying the same basic rate to all subscribers with different disaster risks raises equity issues among subscribers."
Regarding the National Assembly Act amendment, he said, "It aims to establish grounds for budget deliberation without being bound by the constitutional deadline of Dec. 2 for budget approval," adding that "it contravenes the purpose of the constitution, which set minimum standards for the National Assembly to adhere to for smooth budget execution."
Regarding the National Assembly Testimony Act, he said, "It expands the scope of witnesses subject to attendance orders from national audits and investigations to include important agenda reviews and hearings, and stipulates that witnesses and references cannot refuse to submit materials for reasons such as personal information protection or trade secret protection." He added, "The constitution stipulates that when restricting the basic rights of citizens, it should be within the minimum scope necessary to achieve legislative purposes. Expanding the attendance order system to agenda reviews and hearings violates the constitutional principles of proportionality and clarity and has a high risk of infringing on citizens' basic rights such as physical freedom."
Han stated, "In a situation where government cooperation with both ruling and opposition parties is more urgent than ever, I feel a heavy heart in requesting a reconsideration from the National Assembly for the six bills," but added, "The government cannot but make responsible decisions prioritizing the spirit of the constitution and the future of the nation."
He further noted, "I believe it is urgent for the National Assembly and the government to work together to find solutions for everyone by overcoming these differences through dialogue and compromise," and earnestly appealed for "in-depth discussion of the bills being requested for reconsideration and exploring desirable alternatives in the National Assembly."