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| ▲ Government Policy Coordination Minister Bang Ki-seon speaks on the phone following his attendance at a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Seoul on Dec. 17, 2024. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) Cabinet meeting-bills
(LEAD) Gov't to hold extraordinary Cabinet meeting this week to review contentious bills
(ATTN: ADDS details in last two paras)
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- The government will hold an extraordinary Cabinet meeting later this week to decide whether to recommend acting President Han Duck-soo to veto contentious bills, a policy coordination minister said Tuesday.
Government Policy Coordination Minister Bang Ki-seon told reporters that the meeting is expected to take place as early as Thursday to review the six bills passed by the main opposition Democratic Party last month.
They include four agricultural bills, the National Assembly Act and the National Assembly Testimony Appraisal Act.
"The review will focus on whether they comply with the Constitution and laws, and how it will affect the future of the country," Bang said.
If Han does not demand the National Assembly to reconsider the bills by Saturday, they will be enacted into laws.
One of the key bills under review is the Grain Management Act, which would require the government to purchase surplus rice to stabilize prices during market fluctuations.
A similar bill was vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol in March 2023 and was scrapped in a revote.
The National Assembly Act seeks to prevent the automatic submission of the following year's government budget to the plenary session after the legal deadline, while the testimony appraisal act would make it mandatory for companies to submit data requested by lawmakers.
The ruling People Power Party has opposed the bills, expressing concerns about the financial burden of the mandatory rice purchase and potential risks of trade data leaks during parliamentary testimonies.
The acting president also faces a critical decision on whether to veto two opposition-led bills mandating special probes into Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3 and allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee.
The Ministry of Government Legislation said it has received the bills, which were passed by the parliament last week. The deadline for Han to exercise his veto power is set for Jan. 1.
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