South Korea’s acting leader said Thursday he would veto controversial bills sponsored by the main opposition party, deepening political strife after parliament impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The ruling and opposition parties have been at loggerheads over how much power the country’s No. 2 official, Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, has assumed since the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted last Saturday to suspend Yun’s presidential powers during his short-lived Dec. 3 term. Martial law.
The Constitutional Court will decide whether to formally remove or reinstate the conservative Yun as president.
Law enforcement officials are also separately investigating whether Yoon’s martial law enforcement amounted to a coup.
Yun’s defense minister, police chief and several other military commanders have already been arrested in connection with the case. The main liberal opposition Democratic Party first considered impeaching Han for failing to block Yun’s declaration of martial law, but dropped the idea after he became acting leader.
Four of the six bills to be vetoed by Han were to introduce massive state financial aid programs for the country’s agriculture and fisheries industries.
The most controversial bill is the Grain Management Act, which requires the government to buy surplus rice if prices fall too sharply to protect the country’s agricultural industry and promote its food sovereignty. Han said the bill would impose a “huge” financial burden on the government and cause rice prices to fall further.
Another controversial bill is the National Assembly Testimony Assessment Act, which gives MPs more power to attend parliamentary hearings and request the production of documents. Under the proposed law, individuals may no longer refuse such requests citing trade secrets or the protection of personal information.
The Democratic Party said it needed to determine the full details of the bill Yun’s martial law decree. But Hahn said the bill could infringe on people’s privacy and business leaders worry that key technology and company secrets could be leaked.
“I have asked the National Assembly to re-discuss and act on the six bills when there is an urgent need for cooperation between the government and the ruling and opposition parties,” Han said in televised remarks. The meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Thursday has started.
“But the government must take a responsible decision that prioritizes the principles of the constitution and the future of our country.”
Democratic lawmaker and spokesman Noh Jongmyun immediately criticized Han, warning not to “cross the line,” adding, “If he is found to be aiding the coup, we will immediately pull him down.” Observers had previously speculated that the Democratic Party would reconsider impeaching Hahn if he vetoed the bills.
Another source of contention between the rival parties is whether Han has the right to appoint the three vacant judges’ seats on the Constitutional Court, as filling the vacancies could affect the court’s decision on Yun.
The martial law law lasted only six hours, but it caused a major political upheaval in South Korea and set off alarms from neighbors and diplomatic partners.
Yun sent hundreds of troops into the National Assembly to prevent a vote on his decree. But several MPs managed to enter the halls of parliament and unanimously rejected it, forcing Yun’s cabinet to take it up.
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