Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has decided to withdraw its plan to hold a plenary session of the National Assembly this week to pass contentious bills, including one aimed at halting criminal trials for a president-elect. This decision was confirmed by DP floor spokesperson Noh Jong-myeon, who informed reporters at the National Assembly that a parliamentary plenary session will not be held on Thursday, delaying the handling of various bills.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ruling party plans to accelerate the legislative process once the new leadership assumes office on June 13. The responsibility for determining the next steps will fall to the new leadership and its members.
The delay affects the DP's initial plan to vote on the bills this week. Last month, the DP had unilaterally passed a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act during a subcommittee meeting, despite protests from the opposition People Power Party (PPP), which argued that the bill was designed to benefit President Lee Jae-myung.
The DP had also intended to pass three contentious broadcasting bills. These bills sought amendments to the Broadcasting Act, the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act, and the Korea Educational Broadcasting System Act. The proposed changes aimed to modify the governance structure of public broadcasters-KBS, MBC, and EBS-by increasing the number of board directors and allowing media and broadcasting associations, as well as related professional organizations, to recommend board members.