Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) reached an agreement on Monday to extend the review of a supplementary budget by a parliamentary committee to two days. This decision came after a dispute over the scheduling of the session.
According to Yonhap News Agency, PPP lawmakers had earlier walked out of a plenary session of the National Assembly's special committee on budget and accounts. They protested the ruling DP's decision to schedule the session unilaterally without prior consultation. The PPP insisted that the review of the 20.2 trillion won (US$14.7 billion) budget should span two days instead of being rushed in a single day. This budget is the second of the year and the first since President Lee Jae Myung assumed office earlier this month.
Following the agreement, PPP members of the committee will participate in the afternoon session, as confirmed by DP floor spokesperson Kim Hyun-jung in a notice to reporters. The initial plan was for the budget committee to conduct the review on Monday, followed by a subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, and a final review and vote on Thursday.
The DP and PPP have had ongoing disagreements over the extra budget bill, particularly concerning the distribution of "consumption coupons" intended to support people's livelihoods. The DP aims to pass the extra budget bill by July 4, before the current special parliamentary session concludes.