Clashes between rival parties over committee jurisdiction are continuing after the ruling Democratic Party of Korea decided to process the Special Act on Mega Special Zones through the National Assembly's National Policy Committee. The opposition People Power Party demanded the move be reversed, calling it "committee shopping," and urged that the bill be handled by the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee.
Kim Sung-won, chairman of the industry committee, and other People Power Party members of the panel held a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 7th, saying the Democratic Party's attempt to refer the bill to the National Policy Committee was "a political calculation aimed at evading legitimate bill review procedures."
They argued that the Democratic Party is trying to shift the bill to the National Policy Committee to bypass the industry committee, which is chaired by a People Power Party lawmaker. Kim said it is "clear that the industry committee has jurisdiction over the Special Act on Mega Special Zones." He added that "the core elements of the special act — drawing up plans, designating zones, and deliberating and approving them — are carried out by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy as the competent ministry, and even Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan has acknowledged that the ministry would perform most of the key functions once the bill passes."
The lawmakers also said that moves to fold key provisions of the special act on renewable energy cities, known as the RE100 industrial complex law, which is pending before the industry committee, into the mega zone bill and process it through the National Policy Committee amount to sidelining the opposition. Kim said the attempt to transfer the bill to avoid review by the industry committee "will not stop at a one-off case."
