The Democratic Party of Korea is said to be checking, one by one, its lawmakers' overseas travel or business trip schedules ahead of the summer vacation season. It has begun preparations to neutralize the People Power Party's expected filibuster (a lawful obstruction of proceedings through unlimited debate) during the process of handling key bills at the July provisional session.
The Democratic Party leadership in the National Assembly recently surveyed its lawmakers' "July overseas departure schedules." This is to find the right date for a plenary session ahead of the July provisional session, which will feature speeches by negotiating bloc representatives and a government questioning session. The Democratic Party plans to handle 38 priority bills pending at the plenary session next month.
What is the connection between handling bills at the plenary session and Democratic Party lawmakers' overseas schedules? The Democratic Party expects the People Power Party to launch a filibuster in protest against its legislative push. In that case, the Democratic Party is expected to employ a strategy, as in past cases, of forcibly ending the filibuster and handling one bill a day.
However, even for a "large ruling party," lawmakers must gather in maximum numbers to forcibly end a filibuster. Ending a filibuster requires the approval of three-fifths (180 members) of all incumbent lawmakers. The floor leadership needs to find dates when the most lawmakers can gather, or ask lawmakers to adjust their schedules.
In particular, the Democratic Party's seat count fell slightly in the June 3 National Assembly by-elections. The current seat distribution is 161 for the Democratic Party, 110 for the People Power Party. In addition, there are 12 for the Rebuilding Korea Party, 4 for The Progressive Party, 3 for the Reform Party, 1 for the Basic Income Party, 1 for The Social Democratic Party of Korea, and 8 independents. In terms of the broader pro-government camp, more than 180 seats could still be mobilized, but there is also the possibility of an unfortunate shortage of votes to end a filibuster due to overseas departures for business trips or summer vacations.
Looking at the bills referred to the plenary session now, the People Power Party is highly likely to launch a filibuster. In particular, the "fabricated indictment special counsel bill," which could allow the cancellation of the indictment in President Lee Jae-myung's trial, and an amendment to the Public Official Election Act, which could allow the trial to be dismissed, are just short of the plenary threshold. An amendment to the Real Estate Transaction Report Act that would allow the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to designate land transaction permit zones within the same city or province is also pending at the plenary session.
With the July provisional session approaching, a warlike mood is building at the National Assembly. The Democratic Party will hold a general meeting of lawmakers at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 29th to begin talks on forming the latter half of the standing bodies. If that formation is completed through unilateral action by the Democratic Party, the National Assembly is expected to enter an "all-out legislative war" immediately. The People Power Party will also hold a general meeting of lawmakers the same day to discuss the allocation of standing committees and ways to respond legislatively going forward.
A People Power Party floor official said, "If the Democratic Party takes the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and unilaterally forms the standing committees, it will likely ram through the contentious bills again," adding, "Couldn't it also push the 'indictment cancellation special counsel bill' in the July session?"