Joint reform panel to be launched

The ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) are seeking to launch a parliamentary committee to push forward a package of political reform measures.

The move comes as lawmakers face mounting public criticism for passing state-subsidized pensions for retired lawmakers in this year’s budget, while cutting defense spending and finance for welfare projects.

Lawmakers from the National Assembly’s special committee on budget and accounts were also criticized for taking overseas trips under false pretexts.

Prior to the Dec. 19 presidential election, bipartisan lawmakers pledged to relinquish various benefits including the pensions.

“The DUP and Saenuri Party agreed to launch a parliamentary special committee on political reform when I was serving as the vice floor leader before the election,” said Park Ki-choon, current floor leader of the DUP, in a radio interview, Thursday. “In line with the agreement, we will launch the committee and discuss details. We will try to realize promises made to the public.”

“Given the latest criticism, one thing the lawmakers have to seriously self-reflect is that we cannot indiscreetly make promises before elections.”

Rep. Lee Han-koo, the Saenuri Party floor leader, Thursday officially suggested the DUP to jointly launch the special committee and said it would be in charge of “implementing reform pledges made previously over lawmakers’ vested rights.”

Insiders say both parties are currently preparing reform measures including scrapping lawmakers’ pension benefits and their immunity from arrest during parliamentary sessions, along with applying no-work no-pay rules.

The parties are likely to launch the committee during an extra session of the National Assembly slated to take place this month, and turn earlier pledges into law as soon as possible.

However, outsiders were doubtful about lawmakers’ relinquishing their privileges because the same special committee launched during the previous National Assembly had earlier discussed proposals to reduce privileges but didn’t pass any of them into law.

Meanwhile, the Saenuri Party plans to launch an intra-party political reform committee before discussing the issue with the DUP.

A Saenuri official was quoted as saying “after the party leadership meeting next week, the intra-party committee will be launched.”

“We will first come up with specific measures and discuss them later with the DUP at the National Assembly’s session.” <The Korea Times/Chung Min-uck>