Anchor: December’s extraordinary National Assembly begins on Monday to handle the overdue budget bill for next year and other unresolved legislative priorities. Clashes between the ruling and opposition parties are expected to continue on multiple fronts in the sessions.
Max Lee has more. 

Report: The National Assembly convenes for an extraordinary session on Monday in a bid to resolve outstanding tasks that went unresolved by the end of the regular session on December 9.

The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to hold two plenary sessions on December 20 and 28 to handle next year’s budget and other legislation, respectively, with another session scheduled for January 9.

While the rival parties are set to negotiate next year’s government budget through a two-plus-two consultative body, any success would require the sides to bridge a considerable gap. 

The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) plans to unilaterally pass its own reduced budget if an agreement is not reached before the plenary session next Wednesday.

The DP will also push to pass motions on special counsel investigations into allegations of stock manipulation against First Lady Kim Keon-hee and bribery suspicions surrounding the Daejang-dong development project, which have been designated as “fast-track bills” to prevent them from pending for too long.

The main opposition will also propose a parliamentary investigation into three controversial issues, including an expressway construction project that was completely scrapped earlier this year after suspicions that the updated plan was designed to benefit the first lady’s family.

The other two investigations cover the death of a young marine who was swept away by strong currents during a flood rescue operation in July and the deadly flooding of an underpass in Osong in the same month.

The rival parties will also face off in confirmation hearings for six new ministerial candidates and the new Korea Communications Commission chairman.
Max Lee, KBS World Radio News.