Democratic Party to Prioritize Special Counsel Bill on Fabricated Indictments; Further Talks on Livelihood Bills

Six bills proposed, but scope for floor consideration narrowed after ruling-opposition negotiations
Party seeks passage of Urban Renewal Act and other bills during regular session... Opposition announces filibuster
Next year's budget discussed at ca

The Democratic Party of Korea decided on Nov. 5 to prioritize placing the Special Counsel Act on Fabricated Prosecutions on the agenda for the National Assembly plenary session. The party had initially proposed processing six bills, but the scope of bills to be brought forward was narrowed during negotiations with the ruling party. The party also discussed its approach to reviewing the 2027 budget bill at a lawmakers' meeting that day.

Jeon Eun-su, a floor spokesperson for the Democratic Party, told reporters after the lawmakers' meeting at the National Assembly that day, "We proposed six bills, and this is the conclusion we reached through negotiations."

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Dong-hae = Han Byeong-do, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks at a party lawmakers' meeting at the National Assembly on Nov. 5, 2026. eastsea@yna.co.kr (End)

Jeon said there appeared to be room for further discussion on the Urban Renewal Act and the Yongsan Park Act, among others, and that the party had decided to give the talks more time. The Democratic Party plans to continue negotiations so that the other major bills can also be passed during the regular session.

Han Byeong-do, the Democratic Party's floor leader, said in his opening remarks at the meeting, "We will devise a sound strategy and negotiate to ensure that the major bills, including broadcasting-related bills and housing-related bills such as the Urban Renewal Act, are all passed without a hitch during the regular session, just as they have been in the past."

The party also shared its approach to reviewing the 2027 budget bill at the meeting. Jung Tae-ho, the Democratic Party's secretary on the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Special Committee, said the key priorities for next year's budget were expanding future growth and addressing inequality and polarization.

In its review of the budget bill, the Democratic Party plans to consider closing the gap in meal and snack subsidies between childcare centers and kindergartens, improving facilities at elementary, middle and high schools, and expanding railway infrastructure. It also plans to seek increases in funding for local love gift certificates, Onnuri gift certificates, firefighting, and anti-hacking measures.

Regarding the Future Response Fund, the party emphasized investment in future growth, management of national debt, and the fund's role as a safety net against worsening fiscal conditions in the years ahead. Negotiations are also underway to increase local government grants, but the specific method of allocating the funds has not yet been decided, the party said.

The People Power Party held a protest rally in front of the plenary chamber that day and announced it would launch a filibuster against the Special Counsel Act on Fabricated Prosecutions. Jeong Jeom-sik, the People Power Party's floor leader, criticized the bill as "a special counsel bill designed to eliminate the trials the president should face" and "the worst piece of legislation in the history of the Constitution."

In response, the Democratic Party countered by emphasizing that it had removed the provisions concerning requests to drop indictments and the authority to demand the transfer of cases. In a written briefing that day, Jeon said, "Even so, the People Power Party is still misleading the public by sticking the outdated label 'special counsel for dropping indictments' on the bill."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.