Ruling, opposition parties brace for February showdown over key bills

Feb. 18 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the conservative People Power Party are headed for another bruising standoff in the February parliamentary session despite public calls for bipartisan cooperation during the Lunar New Year holiday.

At the center of the clash is a package of judicial reform bills that the People Power Party has branded "judicial destruction" and "bills to save President Lee Jae-myung." The party has warned it will use all available tools, including a filibuster, if the legislation is advanced without agreement.

Tensions were already visible before the holiday as lawmakers sparred over the judicial package, which includes proposals tied to the Supreme Court and criminal provisions for alleged judicial misconduct, as well as a measure related to court petitions. The dispute also contributed to People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok skipping a lunch with Lee and declaring a boycott of a plenary session, the report said.

Lawmakers had planned to pass about 80 livelihood-related bills in a plenary session last Wednesday, but the session opened late and approved 63 bills.

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Other unresolved measures include a special bill for an administrative merger between South Chungcheong province and the city of Daejeon and a third revision to the Commercial Act that would require companies to cancel treasury shares. The Democratic Party argues the change would bolster shareholder value and support its goal of lifting the benchmark stock index to 5,000. The People Power Party says it could weaken corporate defenses in mergers and acquisitions.

The Democratic Party plans to accelerate action on remaining livelihood bills and disputed measures through early March. It intends to ask the National Assembly speaker to convene a plenary session next Tuesday and then move reform bills in sequence, though a filibuster could slow the timetable.

Democratic Party floor leader Han Byeong-do said the holiday confirmed public support for sweeping social reform and vowed to press ahead with the judicial package, the Commercial Act revision and the administrative merger bill.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260219010005562