The Democratic Party of Korea selected and disclosed 224 key bills to be processed in the September regular National Assembly. The plan is to conduct the government question session and the National Audit in October focusing on people's livelihood economy and national reform.
The Democratic Party held a workshop for lawmakers in preparation for the regular National Assembly at the Paradise City Convention Center in Incheon on the 28th. At the meeting, the Democratic Party's Policy Committee announced 224 key bills to be processed in the September regular National Assembly. Han Jeong-ae, chair of the Democratic Party's Policy Committee, said, "We selected 224 bills that we would like to process from this regular National Assembly until the first half of next year, including bills related to the implementation of national agenda, those that the government suggested to be prioritized, and those that our party believes should be expedited."
The key bills of the Democratic Party are categorized into four major areas. The largest number is in people's livelihood with 102 bills, followed by 44 in reform, and 39 each in growth and safety.
In the area of people's livelihood, representative bills include the Banking Act, which stipulates that legal costs are excluded from or not reflected above a certain ratio in calculating the additional charge on bank loans; the Commercial Building Lease Protection Act, which requires landlords to disclose management costs at the request of tenants to prevent unfair rent increases; the Medical Act to establish legal criteria for safe and convenient non-face-to-face medical treatment; the Lease Fraud Victim Act, which addresses deficiencies in support procedures for victims of lease fraud; the Student Loan Repayment Act, which expands the interest exemption for income-contingent student loans (ICL); the Veterans Treatment Act, which aims to minimize disparities in participation allowances for local governments; the Act on Collaboration and Cooperation, which aims to eradicate technology theft by introducing a Korean-style discovery system; and the Act on Fair Business Relations to alleviate excessive fee burdens on small businesses and self-employed platform vendors.
The agenda also includes three laws to eradicate illegal ticket sales to ensure fair access to cultural and sports events and establish sound distribution order. These involve revising the Performance Act, Sports Facility Installation and Utilization Act, and the National Sports Promotion Act to put in place measures to combat illegal ticket sales.
In the area of growth, bills included the Promotion of Artificial Intelligence Data Center Act to foster the AI industry, the Special Act on Fostering Human Resources in the AI Industry, and the Special Act on Promoting AI Industry and Transition to a Strong Nation. Bills to support specific industries include the Special Act on the Semiconductor Industry, the Special Act on Carbon Neutral Industry, and the Special Act on Strengthening Competitiveness in the Steel Industry and Transition to Green Steel Technology. The Special Act for Support of Agencies Transferred to Busan for Comprehensive and Systematic Assistance, including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the Special Act for Supporting the Establishment of Arctic Shipping Routes, including the establishment of an Arctic Shipping Routes Committee for practical utilization of Arctic routes are also included.
In the safety area, the Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act, which provides for the establishment and operation of integrated support centers for disaster victims and their families, the Forest Disaster Prevention Act for joint responses from various ministries to forest disasters such as wildfires and landslides, and the Stalking Crime Punishment Act, which introduces a victim protection order system to robustly protect stalking victims, are included.
Notable proposals also include the Safety and Utilization Activation Act for individual mobility devices to systematize safety management for shared electric kickboards; the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act to regulate North Korean leaflets for the safety of residents in border areas; and revisions to the Aviation Safety Act, Police Officer Duties Enforcement Act, and others.
The reform area is also a focus for the Democratic Party. Key bills for prosecutorial reform include the Government Organization Act, the Prosecutor's Office Abolition Act, the Public Prosecutor's Office Establishment and Operation Act, and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency Establishment and Operation Act. There are also bills for media reform and the Public Institutions Operation Act, which aligns the terms of public institution executives with the presidential term. The Government Organization Act for the implementation of the core national tasks under the Lee Jae-myung administration is also included.
Chair Han noted regarding the government reorganization, "The internal discussions have not been finalized but are being conducted gradually," and added, "Since everything has to be organized, I will aim to submit the final bill at an appropriate time."
The direction of the government questioning in the September regular National Assembly and the National Audit in October was also announced. The regular National Assembly will hold its opening ceremony at 2 p.m. on the 1st, with group representative speeches on the 9th and 10th. The government questioning will take place over four days from the 15th to the 18th. The National Audit is expected to begin after Chuseok on October 13.
Moon Geum-joo, the Democratic Party's floor spokesperson, said, "The direction of the government questioning will be conducted around five themes: national prestige, national interests, national reform, creation of future growth engines, and benefits for the public," adding, "For the National Audit, we will proceed with four themes: people's livelihood economy, liquidation, reform, and national sovereignty."