Lawmakers on the Democratic Party of Korea Trade. Industry Energy. SMEs. and Startups Committee said they would pass the "mega special zone special act" within December, during the regular session of the National Assembly, to support the government's plan for a semiconductor cluster in the southwest. The bill includes regulatory exemptions, financial and tax benefits, and measures to improve living conditions to attract talent.
On the morning of the 8th, government officials including Minister Kim Jung-kwan of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers held a closed-door party-government meeting at the National Assembly to discuss key issues, including the mega special zone special act. Jang Cheol-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker, told reporters right after the meeting, "The goal is clear to pass it within the regular session," adding, "Even if the second half is two years, there is only about a year to focus on legislation, and then we enter the general election phase, which effectively saps legislative momentum."
Jang added, "In the end, the regular session and the February session (next year) are the last line," saying, "After that, even managing the situation won't be easy, so most major legislation has no choice but to be handled within the regular session."
On the timeline for handling the bill, Jang said, "For passage within the regular session, prior steps such as a public hearing are essential," adding, "A tight schedule is inevitable, including public hearings in July–August, a first review in September, renewed discussions during the budget session in November, and final passage in December," and, "Even if it slips past the regular session, we will proceed with the goal of treating the February session as the outer limit and not going beyond that."
He also emphasized the importance of reconciling differences between the party and the government regarding the mega special zone special act. Jang said, "The key is to sort out in the fastest way possible the differences within the party and the issues with the government," adding, "It is a very complex bill, with many special exemptions and entanglement with the consistency of regional growth strategies." He added, "Because this is difficult to resolve solely at the standing committee level, it needs to be streamlined quickly at the policy committee level."
No consensus has yet formed on the "exemption from the 52-hour workweek" provision, which has been controversial over whether it should be included in the special act. Jang said, "If we start discussing it, the timeline could be significantly delayed, so we did not address it separately at this meeting," adding, "For now, individual lawmakers and ministries each have their own positions; it is not at the stage of official debate or consolidation."