Partisan Clash Escalates over Reform Bills
Rival parties are escalating their conflict over four key reform bills following National Assembly Speaker Kim Won-ki's decision to exercise his authority to unilaterally present the bills to the plenary session on Tuesday.
Some 30 lawmakers of the main opposition Grand National Party have encamped themselves at Kim's official residence to prevent him from reporting to the Assembly while ruling Uri Party members occupied the Assembly floor to block GNP legislators from entering the floor.
The overnight showdown at one point produced physical clashes between the two sides.
The opposition lawmakers remaining at the speaker's residence protested Kim's decision, pledging to mobilize all means to block any vote on the reform bills.
If Kim fails to report to work, Vice Assembly Speaker Kim Duk-kyu is expected to chair the plenary session.
Meanwhile, the minor opposition Democratic Party has decided not to cooperate in the bills' unilateral passing while the Democratic Labor Party is calling for the passing of two more bills, including one on introducing a public recall system for elected officials and politicians.
The four bills include three real estate bills aimed at curbing property speculation and one on forming a Northeast Asian history foundation.
Kim's unilateral move would effectively cut short the bills' deliberation process in parliamentary committees. He warned Monday that parliament could degenerate into a "vegetative" state if it fails to process pending bills due to the bipartisan stalemate over private school reform.
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