The Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party agreed to pass in a plenary session by the 10th of next month a supplementary budget bill worth 25 trillion won that the government will submit to the National Assembly to respond to the Middle East crisis. The ruling and opposition parties also agreed to pass about 60 livelihood-related bills at the plenary session to be held on the 31st.

Floor leaders from both parties pose with the agreement on the April extra session schedule in the National Assembly Speaker's office on the 30th. From left: People Power Party senior deputy floor leader for operations Yoo Sang-beom, floor leader Song Eon-seog, Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Han Byung-do, and senior deputy floor leader for operations Cheon Jun-ho./Courtesy of Yonhap News

Floor leader Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party and floor leader Song Eon-seog of the People Power Party announced an agreement on the supplementary budget at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 30th. The two parties' floor leaders met in the morning under the chairmanship of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik and continued discussions on handling the supplementary budget bill, including a separate luncheon meeting.

According to the agreement, President Lee Jae-myung's policy speech on the supplementary budget will be delivered on the 2nd of next month, and interpellations of the government will be held on the 3rd, 6th and 13th of next month. The Special Committee on Budget & Accounts will hold a comprehensive policy inquiry on the 7th of next month, followed by ministry-by-ministry reviews on the 8th. The supplementary budget bill is expected to be handled by bipartisan agreement at the plenary session on the 10th of next month.

The ruling and opposition parties will handle 60 livelihood-related bills at the plenary session to be held on the 31st. The list of bills to be handled is expected to be announced on the morning of the 31st. In addition, they plan to elect chairpersons for four standing committees left vacant due to local elections. The parties also set the March extraordinary session to run until the 2nd of next month and to begin the April extraordinary session on the following day, the 3rd.

Floor leader Song Eon-seog said, "We are discussing the agenda for tomorrow's (the 31st) plenary session at the working level, and we are discussing handling roughly 60 bills." Floor leader Han Byung-do explained, "We also decided to put to a vote the agenda to elect the chairpersons of the four standing committees."

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