Song Eonseok: "Broad Cooperation on U.S. Investment Act... Rigorous Review Equivalent to Parliamentary Ratification"

by Yoo Jaehoon

by Kim Pyeonghwa

Published 05 Feb.2026 09:49(KST)

Song Eonseok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, said on the 5th, "As the United States is proceeding with administrative procedures related to reimposing tariffs, the People Power Party has decided to cooperate in a broad-minded manner as the leading opposition party in handling the Special Act on Investment in the United States," adding, "I hope that the bill will be drafted through a rigorous review equivalent to parliamentary ratification."

Floor Leader Song stated this at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on Thursday morning, saying, "Since the People Power Party, as the opposition party, first proposed cooperation, I hope the government and the ruling party will faithfully follow suit. I also hope they will sincerely answer before the National Assembly as to what kind of confusion occurred in the negotiation process with the United States."

Song Eonseok, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at a party strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on Feb. 3, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Floor Leader Song said, "The outcome of the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, which has imposed a massive burden of 600 billion dollars on the national economy, including 350 billion dollars in investment in the United States, 100 billion dollars in energy purchases, and 150 billion dollars in corporate investment, is, in principle, subject to parliamentary ratification," adding, "The government and the ruling party have instead been claiming that it is sufficient to pass a special act."

He went on to say, "The United States is suddenly raising the tariff rate to 25%, yet the government cannot explain why and is failing to fully disclose the reasons to the public," pointing out, "For two months, they did nothing, not even grasping the moves of the U.S. government, and now the Lee Jaemyung administration is irresponsibly blaming the National Assembly, claiming that tariffs have no choice but to be reimposed because the legislation has not been passed. This is deplorable."

Meanwhile, regarding media reports that the ruling party has begun revising the bill on the so-called 'distortion of law' crime, which had been expected to be railroaded through the National Assembly, Floor Leader Song said, "We are repeatedly seeing slapdash lawmaking in which bills are unilaterally passed at the standing committee stage without debate or deliberation, and then, in a rush just before the plenary session, a revised bill is submitted," adding, "At this point, it is not the crime of distortion of law that is worrisome, but rather the Democratic Party of Korea's 'crime of playing with the law' that is of concern."

Floor Leader Song said, "The distortion of law crime is, in itself, an unconstitutional statute that infringes on the independence of the judiciary, and the ruling party must withdraw it in its entirety," adding, "We strongly urge the swift passage, first of all, of the Criminal Act amendment revising the espionage offense, which the ruling and opposition parties have already agreed upon."