PARLIAMENT AT STANDSTILL

[Anchor Lead]

Rival parties have again failed to agree on the selection of key positions for the second half of the 21st National Assembly, extending a parliamentary standstill for three weeks. Lawmakers received wages of more than ten million won this month, although they did not do their jobs of discussing bills.

[Pkg]

Dark conference rooms and empty hallways. Vacated rooms for committee chairs are under repair. Few people are seen at in-house service facilities, which used to be bustling with lawmakers and their aides.

[Soundbite] (Employee at in-house Beauty Salon (VOICE MODIFIED)) : "20 to 30 percent of lawmakers don’t come in these days."

The National Assembly has remained idle for 23 days since its first-half term ended on May 29. Lawmakers have yet to begin discussions on key economic bills, including those on a safe freight rates system and a cut in oil tax. Over 11,000 bills are pending in parliament. Lawmakers have failed to arrange confirmation hearings for high-ranking government officials. The deadline for holding hearings to vet nominees for education and health ministers and the Joint Chiefs of Staf chairman expired Monday. Rival parties have also made no progress in selecting a parliamentary speaker and committee chairs. The thorniest issue is who will chair the judiciary committee. Rival lawmakers are calling on each other to make concessions.

[Soundbite] Kweon Seong-dong(Floor Leader, People Power Party) : "We should meet again and again until we reach an agreement. I am officially proposing marathon talks."

[Soundbite] Park Hong-keun(Floor Leader, Democratic Party) : "We first need to be sure if they are prepared to make a sincere concession."

Despite their inactivity, lawmakers on Monday received over ten million won in taxpayers' money in wages. They are also scheduled to go on some 20 business trips overseas in June and July, half of which will be attended by lawmakers of both parties.