The first regular session of the Lee Jae-myung administration began on 1st. This is the second regular session of the 22nd National Assembly.
The National Assembly held the opening ceremony for the 429th regular session at 2 p.m. on 1st in the main assembly hall. This regular session is drawing more attention as it plans to address sharp contentious bills between the ruling and opposition parties and the first budget of the Lee Jae-myung administration.
From the first week of the regular session, the ruling and opposition parties will clash over personnel hearings for cabinet appointments. On the 2nd, the personnel hearings for Minister of Education nominee Choi Kyo-jin and Financial Services Commission nominee Lee Eok-won will be held. On the 3rd, a personnel hearing for Women and Family Minister nominee Won Min-gyeong will take place, and on the 5th, a personnel hearing for Fair Trade Commission nominee Joo Byeong-ki is scheduled.
The People Power Party is demanding the withdrawal of the nomination for nominee Choi Kyo-jin. Choi is embroiled in controversies over drunk driving and thesis plagiarism. Choi Bo-yun, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, criticized, "The controversy surrounding nominee Choi is intensifying, and public outrage is growing."
On the 9th and 10th of this month, speeches by the representatives of the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party will be conducted. From the 15th to the 18th, government questioning regarding politics, diplomacy, unification, security, society, education, and economy will take place. The first government audit of the Lee Jae-myung administration is likely to begin on October 13th, after the Chuseok holiday.
This regular session is expected to see intense clashes between the ruling and opposition parties. The People Power Party has designated black suits, black ties, and mourning ribbons with the meaning of 'mourning clothes' as the dress code for the opening ceremony. Although National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik suggested wearing traditional Korean attire, it was changed to mourning clothes at the party level.
Park Seong-hoon, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, noted, "This message actively protests against the Democratic Party of Korea's recent legislative push that is disconnected from various people's livelihoods," adding, "It reflects the voices against the current ruling party's push for amendments to three special investigation laws."
There are also significant contentious bills between the ruling and opposition parties. The arrest consent bill for People Power Party member Kweon Seong-dong, amendments to three special investigation laws, and legislation related to prosecutorial reform will all be addressed in this regular session. The People Power Party plans to oppose the ruling party through a filibuster, a boycott of the National Assembly schedule, and protests outside the Assembly.
The ruling and opposition parties are showing differing positions regarding the first budget of the Lee Jae-myung administration. The Democratic Party of Korea is taking the stance that the budget should pass without any issues to revitalize the economy for people's livelihoods, whereas the People Power Party opposes it, calling it "an unprecedented budget that increases national debt and a burdensome invoice for the people."