The Democratic Party of Korea is accelerating the processing of key issue bills ahead of the majority seats in the National Assembly as soon as the Lee Jae-myung government is launched. As a result, the ruling and opposition parties are skipping the 'honeymoon' period, and confrontation is escalating.

On the afternoon of 5th, the members of the Democratic Party of Korea applaud after the partial revision bill of the Prosecution Disciplinary Act, the Special Investigation Act on Kim Keon-hee, and the insurrection law pass during the National Assembly's plenary session in Yeouido, Seoul, with the People Power Party walking out. /Courtesy of News1

The Democratic Party of Korea plans to process a bill to suspend criminal trials for presidential candidates at the plenary session on the 12th of this month. This comes as the retrial of President Lee Jae-myung's public election law violation case is scheduled for the 18th, leading to interpretations that it is a measure to block judicial risks.

A bill related to broadcasting reform, focusing on the restructuring of the public broadcast's governance system, will promote its presentation at the plenary session on the 12th after passing through the standing committee on the 10th.

Amendments to the Commercial Act are also likely to be processed at the plenary session this month. The amendment includes adding the '3% rule' to limit the voting rights of the largest shareholder and related parties for selecting audit committee members to 3%, and will be implemented immediately without a grace period. President Lee Jae-myung had previously stated that this should be addressed 'within 2 to 3 weeks after taking office' during his candidacy.

On the 5th, the Democratic Party of Korea unilaterally processed the so-called 'three major special investigation laws', including the insurrection special investigation law, the Kim Keon-hee special investigation law, and the Chae Hae-byeong special investigation law, as well as the prosecutor's disciplinary law, in the National Assembly, while the People Power Party had exited. All these bills were previously invalidated due to vetoes from former President Yoon Suk-yeol's administration.

The People Power Party is criticizing the Democratic Party of Korea's legislative push as 'legislative monopoly' and is responding to the amendment to the criminal procedure law as a 'self-pardon law.' However, in the situation where the presidential veto has disappeared, there are no practical means to prevent it. The fact that Kweon Seong-dong, the leader of the party’s floor, has offered to resign also complicates the situation as it creates a leadership vacuum.